Broken Doll
by Alonia Everclear
Summary: Three years after his execution a familiar blond reappears at Balamb, searching for Quistis. How is Seifer alive, and who is controlling his actions? Who are the strange men chasing Quistis and what is Seifer's connection with them? Seiftis!
1. Broken

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This fic is for Sharpedge.

I'm pretty sure he can guess why.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

****

------'-----,---Chapter One**------'-----,---**

****

------'-----,---Broken**------'-----,---**

"Quistis Trepe, please report to the board room" Xu's voice boomed out over the PA system. Her amplified voice echoing off the walls of the blue garden. It was another normal typical day, with student bustling around their agendas planned out for them.

Quistis stirred in her white-sheeted bed, the blue comforter sliding to the ground. She rolled over to glare at the green numbers on her alarm clock. It was close to noon the single window in the room reflecting a square of light onto the beige carpet. Her walls were bare except for a simple shelf holding a few tattered paperbacks and a silver picture frame.

The faces from the frame stared out at her, shiny glossy smiles matching the glossy paper. Her, Zell, Selphie and Squall the day that they had passed the SeeD exam when the Dollet communications tower had been attacked. A shadow was leaning against the wall in the background, his grey trench coat revealing that it was Seifer. 

Her closet stood open, perfect rows of clothes over perfect rows of shoes. All color coordinated, all exact in nature. Red to black, colors of the rainbow. She stood up placing her feet on the nubby carpet, reaching her arms up to stretch. Quickly, she bent over and tossed her comforter back on the bed.

Quistis shuffled over to the closet rolling her eyes as Xu's voice boomed over the loud speaker again. She yawned pulling out her navy uniform, sliding it on quickly. She picked her clip off its place on its nightstand and with a twist clipped her hair up. 

Walking out the door she rubbed her eyes against the bright sun streaming into the Garden. Quistis moved down the hallway, ignoring people as they passed her. Her boot heels clicked on the marble tile. 

The double doors to the boardroom were waiting in front of her with their perfect carved wood. Voices came from beyond the doors, arguing. Quistis pushed the doors open and stepped into the long room. 

The table was surrounded by every important figure in the Garden. 

Headmaster Cid, his wife Edea. Cid with his red v-necked sweater, and wire rimmed glasses. Edea in a black dress and her timeless beauty. They were the picture of perfect couple love always held in their eyes for each other.

Irvine and his fiancée Selphie stood next to them, looking over a set of plans spread across the table. His black hat was tilted down over his brow, one hand resting on her bare shoulder. She was frowning slightly clashing with her bright yellow dress.

Zell lounged in a chair across the table, his feet resting on the table. He was chewing on a pen cap, flipping the pen through his long nimble fingers. His blond hair, as always, was sticking straight up matching his black lightening like tattoo. 

Xu stood beside him, her hands clasped in front of her perfectly pressed uniform. The immaculate gold decorated lapels of her SeeD uniform lined up almost exact with her sleek brown hair. Her almond eyes stared at Quistis, almost though her. With her straight back posture and stern demeanor she was the flawless picture of the new Balamb Garden Commander.

Sitting closest to the door always surrounded but forever alone was Sorceress Rinoa. She looked up at Quistis a ring of red around her dark rich eyes. Face pale with pain her lips were almost white. Two silver rings dangled on a chain from her neck, the prominent one holding an image of the immortal Guardian Force Griever. White feathers caressed her chin from the collar of the black leather coat she wore.

__

Squall.

Pain tore through Quistis' heart at that sight. It pecked at her soul, like tiny hot needles. The former commander had never made it through Time Compression. His sacrifice had brought them all out, the world building around them the center The Orphanage flower field. 

Quistis' heart had broken when she saw Rinoa cradling Squall's head in her lap. Tears rolling down her porcelain face, white wings sprouting from her back. She was casting heal spells over and over again, the magic falling to the ground useless. Magic could not resurrect the dead. 

The room fell silent and everyone turned to look at her. Cid was in mid-sentence; the file he was holding fluttered to the table. The contents splashed to the ground like a waterfall.

"Took ya long enough, what's up Quis" Zell said breaking the silence ringing through the room.

"Quistis, you are a mess" Xu cut in her voice cold. Quistis looked down at her rumpled uniform, and her mis-laced shoes. Her legs were two weeks un-shaven, and she knew her hair was a tangle. She simply shrugged sliding into one of the brown leather seats. 

"Galbadia has just called us for a new mission, they requested you on their team" Cid spoke up. Quistis raised her eyebrows leaning forward in her chair a bit. 

"Unfortunately, you will not be going" Xu spoke up her voice taking on the tone of the typical commander. Quistis glared across the table at her gritting her teeth.

"Why not?" Quistis said her voice cracking in a mimic of her whip. Xu glared back at her, placing both hands on the table and leaning forward a bit.

"Until you pull yourself together you will not be going on any missions. You are temporarily suspended from your SeeD duties. You will be taken from Balamb to a location of our choosing. There in you will become involved in a simple work mission. Once you have gotten yourself together then you may return to your duties as Seed. We all decided it would be the best for you Quistis" Xu replied her voice softly serious.

"You're putting me on off-site suspension?" Quistis asked shooting to her feet. She looked around appalled outraged.

"You have one day to pack" Xu said standing up straight to cross her across her chest. 

Tiny snowflakes were sticking to her eyelashes. She blinked hard, rubbing at her face. Snow was everywhere. The bright dome of Shumi Village loomed in front of her, sending a golden gleam across the white surrounding it.

"Why did Xu have to chose Shumi of all places" Quistis muttered to herself. One of her SeeD escorts looked at her with raised eyebrows and she just shook her head in response. What in the world did Xu think she needed two SeeD escorts for? They reached the opening of the dome and headed inside. 

"This is Quistis Trepe, she is here to help with the excavation" One of the SeeD's said to the two small men standing in front of the elevator doors. 

"She is expected" The short man said moving to the side to allow entrance to the elevator. 

"Good luck Miss Trepe" One of her escorts said. She nodded and stepped into the plush elevator. She unwrapped the red scarf from her neck and sat down on the red pillowed bench. The elevator started moving downward, the mechanical whirring of the machine filling the room.

It pinged, the doors opening to reveal the underground world of Shumi village. 

It was an amazing utopia of warmth and greenery located on one of the snowiest islands in the world. The tiny stone huts were covered with growing vines. Moombas criss-crossed the road, their orange clashing with the surroundings. Quistis sighed picking up her suitcase, heading deeper into the village. 

"Hello" a tall man called out to her walking up. He had short brunette hair, and a smile that dimpled his face. He was wearing a simple tan suit over a dark brown shirt. 

"Hi, I'm Quistis Trepe" Quistis responded with a nod.

"I'm Baker, in change of the excavation" he said reaching out to shake her hand. She took it softly and shook it with a small smile.

"What exactly is this excavation?" Quistis asked raising her eyebrows. Barker smiled and motioned for her to follow him. They moved along the main street, Moombas prancing along side them. He led her to an empty space beyond all the houses; tables set up all around a huge hole in the ground.

She could see tiny shovels and brushes spread across the tables. Some of them had deep trays filled with dirty objects. People were bent over brushing and picking at some of the strange objects. 

Baker motioned to the hole with a smile. The sides were jagged leading down into a great trench. Half a broken building jutted from the wall, its shattered windows like two gaping eyes looking up at her. People roamed over the site, cleaning, brushing, and digging. 

"Some archeologists stumbled over this great find a few weeks ago. You are going to help us dig up any artifacts we can find" Baker said with a wide grin. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, playing in the dirt had never appealed to Quistis,

"Where will I be staying?" she asked glancing behind her at the row of houses.

"Since there are so many people here for the dig, we had to give you one of the smaller huts" Baker said softly pointing to a tiny hut off the side of the road. Quistis nodded curtly and headed for it, dragging her suitcase behind her. 

She stepped inside glaring around the room, with a bed across the wall. Setting her suitcase on the desk, she shrugged out of her coat. Quistis draped her coat over the chair. Sitting on the bed she slipped her shoes off and lay back on the bed staring up at the ceiling.

What kind of cruel joke was it for Xu to send her to help these people? Xu knew she detested being dirty. How was she ever expected to get things together when she was so far away from everyone she knew?

How could she pull herself together when the only man she had ever loved had died?

A/N: Yup, I'm at it again. This is my new seiftis. Please enjoy J . 

Special thanks to Sharpedge for reading this for me and grammerizing it.


	2. Destroyed

****

------'-----,---Chapter Two**------'-----,---**

------'-----,---Destroyed**------'-----,---**

It was cold.

All he knew was the coldness surrounding him. The darkness lingering on his skin, the taint of blood on his mind, flashing before his closed eyes. Bitter rage and anger burnt into his heart.

He threw his eyes open, beating at the surface barely a foot above him. His knuckles began to bleed form the effort, the skin splitting, bursting with crimson. Finally, with a mighty shove, the roof of his prison fell open to reveal the darkness lingering above.

He sat up so fast that his mind reeled. He stared down at his pale, naked self, glaring at the needles and wires inserted in to his skin. Tearing them from his arms and chest, he watched as the glass and metal clattered to the floor. Then he climbed out of the metal coffin, his bare feet thudded on to the floor.

The metal beneath him was strange, and hard to see in the darkness, but sleek and smooth just like the box he had been imprisoned in. He stumbled forward closing his eyes, his hand coming up to caress his temple. His head was killing him; the pain tore though him like lightening.

Suddenly he fell forward, embracing the cool metal. He could remember - killing them, killing all of them.

His throat erupted with a scream, blood tainting him to his very soul. The floor was cold, harsh, pressed against his bare skin. So cold it was hurting, stabbing him with tiny metal needles. Jerkily he stood up, staring at the dark floor. He only saw metal gazing back.  
  
  
_"Daddy! Save me..."_  
kill  
_"There is no one left to save you now"_  
  
  
The room was so very cold, he was shaking in his naked form. Blood splattered on to the dull sheenless metal, dripping from his broken knuckles. He watched it. _Splatter, splatter._ Red, slippery, wet, it tainted his very skin.  
  
  
_"Take my life, but leave my wife"_  
kill. kill. kill.  
_"She shall suffer the same fate as you"_  
  
  
"Where am I?" he shouted, trying to ignore the voice that seemed to whisper all around him. It whispered along the darkness, riding through a cloud to his insanity. He took a shaky step, his foot meeting only the same cold metal.  
  
  
_"Spare the children"_  
kill. kill. kill. kill. kill.   
_"No one is innocent"_  
  
  
He threw his hands out, colliding with the cold, smooth wall. It was slick beneath his fingers. A metal he had never felt before.   
  
His hands flew to his head again, the ground rushing up to meet him in a painless embrace. Blood stained his very vision. All he knew was death, all he wanted was blood to stain his blade again.  
  
"No. No. No. No. No." He repeated the mantra again and again out loud, running his hands through his hair. His blond hair was now stained red.  
  
  
_"My baby!!!"_  
kill. kill. kill. kill. kill. kill. kill. kill. kill.   
_"It will never know the pain of life"_  
  
  
Voices calling from the darkness, forever the constant thudding inside his head. The pulling of the voice, the power of life. The divine sensation of holding someone's life in your hand, and then snuffing it out. Like a dipping a match into water.  
  
  
_"How could you do this?"_  
kill. kill. kill. kill. kill. kill. kill. kill. kill. kill. kill. kill. kill. kill. kill. kill.   
_"Only the blood can tell you"_  
  
  
It was a primal sensation, an urge he needed but didn't want. He prayed for the voice to end.   
  
"What have you done to me?" he screamed at the shadows. As the pain enveloping his soul, it seemed to burst in his head. Pain shoving, lancing into his brain.  
  
  
_"You're a monster"_  
kill. kill. kill.   
_"We all succumb to the monster, eventually"_  
  
  
He screamed, jumping to his feet. He racked his nails hard across his chest, breaking the flesh, sending fresh blood splattering to the floor.  
  
Slowly, carefully he looked down at his hands. Crimson red tainted his fingertips. Slowly, he brought the tip of his finger to his lip and tasted. The coppery saltiness of his own life slid across his tongue.  
  
He raised his head and stared into the darkness, his green eyes defiant. It had come, the time had arrived. It was all behind him. There was only one thing he knew now.  
  
Seifer Almasy was ready to kill.   


****

------'-----,---------'-----,---

He was a statue. Tall and proud with his shoulders thrown back. His face held its natural defiance, green eyes flat, emotionless.  
  
They stood in a line in front of him. Inspecting him, every line in his body. The curves of his muscled chest, the hardness of his legs.   
  
They pointed him to a table and he was commanded to dress. It was a daily routine for them. He was their puppet, their toy.  
  
His clothes lay there complete with grey trench coat. They were his battle armor. Melded to his skin, they were his dearest friends. His Hyperion slid into his hand, clean, but the taint of blood still lingered.  
  
He was like their arm, only an extension. A weapon for them to use. The wires they had inserted writhed under his skin as he shrugged the coat on.  
  
Then he sat in the chair, as the metal helmet sunk down from the ceiling. It was placed on his head, a chinstrap tightened.   
  
Electricity bolted through him, images playing across his mind.  
  
_Balamb. Woman. Garden. Blond. Balamb._  
  
When the helmet came off, rage was struck in his eyes. He stood, hand tight around the hilt of Hyperion. He strode out of the room with deliberate steps, heading for what he had once called home. 


	3. Cracked

  
  
  
  


** ------'-----,---**Chapter Three**------'-----,---**   
**------'-----,--- **Cracked **------'-----,---**

  
  
  
  
Quistis looked around the hut now filled with her personal belongings. She only had one box left to unpack and it rested at her side on a footstool. The first object she unwrapped had stopped all productivity, leading her on a journey through memories.   
  
It was the silver framed picture that always sat on her shelf back home. She was standing next to Squall. Seifer lingering in the background. Her and her two most promising students. She sighed setting the picture on a shelf, brushing off some dust. Now both of them were dead. She had failed them both.   
  
She closed her eyes trying not to think of the last time she that had seen Seifer. It was three years ago, almost to the day. The memories came unwillingly, she was unable to stop them from haunting her. Quistis collapsed on the bed with a sigh and rode the tide of memories as they came.   
  
They had come in on an emergency call from Esthar, they were trying to capture a wanted felon and needed SeeD back-up. She had been the chosen as squad leader and had two rather in experienced SeeD placed under her command.   
  
Much to the gardens surprise, this felon was none other then Seifer Almasy. Their childhood friend had gone mad, ravaging though the city. His gunblade slicing through the innocent, setting fires to the hearts of the living.   
  
She and her two companions had confronted him in the street. He killed them, both of them with out even blinking an eye. There was so much blood, everywhere. It tainted him, the street, and her.   
  
SeeD back up had helped take him down, and took him to Esthar. It was there that he was sentenced to death, on the Accusation of Conspiring with a Known Sorceress, and Murder. Quistis could still remember the guards dragging him away.   
  
He had screamed out for Matron, his eyes feverish. Seifer had fought against them, reaching for his group of childhood friends. They could only watch as the Esthar authorities dragged him away to commit the execution.   
  
Quistis realized in shock that there were silent unchecked tears rolling down her face. She let them fall, splattering softly on the bed.   
  
Esthar, with help from SeeD took out most of the Galbadia army, leaving all cities free of their tyranny. It had been a bloody year.   
  
After that Esthar shut its doors to the public once again. Even Laguna stopped communicating with Garden. Esthar no longer wanted to be involved in world affairs, and refused any passage through their borders.   
  
The United Council was formed then, a government to rule all governments. Every city was involved Deling, Dollet, and even Shumi. That is with the exception of Esthar and SeeD.   
  
It was strange how much could change in the course of three years.   
  
Quistis sighed and pulled herself out of the bed, setting her feet firmly on the floor. She placed the picture on the nightstand, running her fingers over Squall's image. She shook her head and walked out of the hut, onto the street of Shumi village.   
  
"Quistis" she heard Baker say as he walked up from behind her, his face lit up with a warm smile. She returned the smile almost unwillingly, her eyes glowing in response. It was always that way with her, reacting to others around her.   
  
"Baker" She said his name shaking his hand softly.   
  
"So are you ready to get dirty today?" He asked with a grin as they walked towards the excavation site. Quistis rolled her eyes and followed the tall man. She still resented Xu for sending her here to this place. Why couldn't she have gone to Dollet, where there was a nice clean sandy beach.   
  
"What do you want me to do" Quistis asked Baker as they stopped in front of a long table that was covered in tools. Tiny chisels and picks, brushes and combs. All of them looked well used, and very dirty.   
  
"Some of our students, discovered some objects within the house today. I was thinking you could help them recover some of the items" Baker said handing her some of the objects, tucked into an apron. She tied the apron around her waist and followed him to the edge of the pit, where a rope ladder was hanging.   
  
"Go on down, they are expecting you Ms. Trepe" Baker said with a smile. Her lips turned up in response as she started to make her way down the fragile rope ladder.   
  
The bottom of the pit was loosely packed dirt, which shifted slightly with each footstep. The broken structure loomed before her, its double windows like black eyes staring down at her. She walked in through the gaping hole inside. It was a dark place with lights strung up along the walls.   
  
There was a grid laid out across the floor made of bright red strings. Three men were kneeled upon the floor working solely on a huge statue they were unearthing. It was of a woman, draped provocatively with a long sash. It was a beautiful piece of art, the white marble still striking amongst all the dirt.   
  
"Well start digging" One of the men said motioning to a part of the grid in the corner of the building. Quistis sighed softly and dropped to her knees.   
  
  
  


**------'-----,---------'-----,---**

  
  
  
  
The cool blue hallways of Balamb never changed. Simple and serene with their different colored strips running up the center. The constant bubbling of fountains the constant backdrop of noise. The white lights with their blue filters, painting everything the same drab color.   
  
It was meant to be peaceful, and tranquil. It was indeed not for the man striding down the long hallways to the outdoor quad. He was tall, his stature broad and thick with muscle. The light grey trench coat trailed behind him, swirling around his legs.   
  
He paused at the archway to the quad the cool night air biting at his skin. She was there, wrapped in a tiny yellow dress as usual. She was hanging up decorations on the stage, probably preparing for the next festival. The brunette would lead him to the blond.   
  
He swooped down the stairs, readying his gunblade easily. He stealthily moved up the stage, weaving in and out of the shadows like he could control them.   
  
His hand wrapped around her thin arm shoving her hard against the pole. He then clamped his hand over her mouth their green eyes meeting. First her eyes registered shock, then fear as she realized who he was.   
  
"That's right, Seifer Almasy is back from the grave" he hissed smirk spreading slowly across his face. She tried to shake her head against his hand, trying to fight against him. She was too light, he was able to press his weight hard against her.   
  
"Selphie, you are going to tell me where she is. If you scream, I will kill you" he said letting his hand up slightly. She gasped in a breath of air.   
  
"Seifer, how did you.." she started to ask before a quick cuff to the cheek stopped her words. Selphie shook her head and her eyes met him again.   
  
"Where who is?" Selphie asked softly.   
  
"You know who, our favorite blond instructor" Seifer growled. Tears sprang to her eyes and she shook her head again, furiously.   
  
"Seifer, what do you want from her?" Selphie asked.   
  
"Just tell me" Seifer hissed again touching the blade of his Hyperion to her skin. She yelled in pain torrents of emotion running through her.   
  
"She's in Shumi" Selphie stammered at last right before he dropped her to the floor. He leaned down and helped her to her feet, carefully. Then he slowly brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently.   
  
"Thank you, Selphie" Seifer said softly his voice a coating of velvet. Then he turned and was gone from the quad, his trench coat only a flicker in the night.   
  
Selphie fell forward to her knees her body shaking. After she sobbed a bit she hopped to her feet and bolted towards the commander's dorm.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
A/N: Hey everyone if you haven't checked out the fic I am writing with Sharpedge, please do.   
It's called Echoes of Dissolved Eternity.   
http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1022130   
Thank you! :) 


	4. Fractured

****

------'-----,---Chapter Four**------'-----,---**

------'-----,--- Fractured **------'-----,---**

The pain curled all the way down her spine, settling deep in her lower back. The ache spread across her shoulders and down into her arms. Her neck was cramped, her legs numb from sleep long ago. Her long slender fingers were stained with dust and dirt, and her nail beds full of the deep brown stuff that covered the ground. 

In her left hand she loosely held a brown handled brush. The bristles once white now tainted with the dirt they so softly brushed aside. Emerging from the dirt with each careful stroke of the brush was a tiny porcelain face. Blue eyes surrounded by soft blond eyelashes. A shock of blond hair tumbling around the tiny child like face.

Quistis hadn't moved the whole day her whole being mesmerized by the task of unearthing the child toy. The tiny blue dress it wore was caked with thousand year old dirt. It had tiny hands, the white fingers seeming to reach up at her from the filth. It was begging to be saved, it wanted her to rescue it from its grave. 

The sun was had long set and she had been there all day her concentration spent. She finally freed the doll from its soil prison. Quistis held it in her hands for a few long moments her fingers buried in the frills of the blue dress. She stared into it's blue eyes, so reminiscent of her own. It reminded her of all the childhood memories that lingered in the back of her mind, all the things that had been discovered during the war.

She at last stood up, the bones in her body cracking as she stretched them. She shook her head trying to clear her thoughts as she wandered out of the building. The real archeologists had gone to sleep for the night, the city of Shumi sleeping around her. 

Her hut awaited her, tiny and dark amongst the others. Moving inside she clicked the light on casually. With tenderness she places the doll on her nightstand spreading its dirty blue skirts around it. With a sigh she slumped into bed pulling to covers up over her fully clothed body. 

****

------'-----,---------'-----,---

"Someone has to inform Quistis" Xu said with cool calculating precision as she looked down at Selphie. The brunette nodded looking around the table of people. 

"I just can't believe that Seifer is alive" Rinoa uttered under her breath. She stroked the feathers on the collar of her jacket with one lazy hand. Her brown eyes focused mistily on the table. 

"What are we all doing sitting around here for, we gotta get to Shumi and protect Quistis!" Zell exclaimed jumping to his feet as one hand came crashing down on the table top.

"Ho there boy, calm down" Irvine drawled rising to his feet as well. "Quistis is more then capable of taking care of herself as long as she gets some warning" 

"Irvine has a point. We have no SeeD to spare for a journey to Shumi" Xu said looking down the roster or students and SeeD that lay on the table in front of her. 

"No SeeD to spare?" Zell said outraged, his blue eyes raking over the brunette commander. He grit his teeth in anger his fist shaking as it clenched in rage. Xu just stared at him her posture stiff. He turned and headed for the door striding across the room.

"Where are you going?" Xu snapped.

"I'm going to Shumi" Zell said coldly, pausing only a moment before the door.

"SeeD Dichnt you are not to leave this garden!" Xu exclaimed. He turned and looked at her with fiery, screaming blue eyes.

"You weren't at the orphanage. You weren't there for Ultimacia. Quistis is a member of this Garden, she is a SeeD, but most of all she is our friend. You will not stop me from leaving" Zell said turning again to head for the door.

"I'm going with him" Selphie said scooping the key to the Ragnarock up from the table. She moved quickly after Zell stopping for a moment to give Irvine a quick smile and a wave. 

Irvine stood slowly his gaze resting on Xu for a long moment. Then he shook his head, his ponytail swishing down his back. Without a word he turned and followed the two out of the conference room. 

All that was left behind was Rinoa and Xu.

****

------'-----,---------'-----,---

Metal, cold and sleek. It chilled him to the bone as it flashed into his vision. He took a step back suddenly colliding into something, someone. Baker turned trying to struggle against the strong hands holding him in place.

"Which building is Quistis Trepe staying in" a male voice hissed in his ear. Baker raised a shaking hand to the tiny hut, his heart pounding in his chest. He couldn't catch his breath, the cold metal nicking his neck. He felt a tiny trickle of blood roll down his neck and snake inside his shirt. 

"Who are you?" Baker croaked, his voice cracking against the night air. He was turned around by a rough hand and found himself staring up into two green eyes. The metal at his neck was a long sleek gunblade held by a black-gloved hand.

"Do you want to look in the eyes of your killer before you die?" the blond man said, his voice hissing through his teeth. Baker shook his head wildly, his long brown hair falling from its ponytail. His killer only smirked, his eyes lighting up with a sick glee. 

Seifer took a step back raising his gunblade into the air. With one foul swoop Baker slumped to the floor, his disembodied head rolled a few feet away lying amongst the tall grass. The smirk sliding off his face Seifer coolly, methodically wiped the blood from his blade onto the clothes of the now dead man. 

He then turned his eyes, focusing on the hut he had pointed out a few moments before. With long malicious strides he headed for it, his black boots thumping loudly on the cobble stone streets. 

****

------'-----,---------'-----,---

Quistis rubbed her eyes groggily at the sound of the phone ringing. She rolled over and stumbled out of her bed across the dark hut. She pulled the phone off the receiver placing it to her ear in one smooth motion. 

"Hello" she said, leaning heavily against a table. Her body was so tired after all the digging. 

"Quistis?" a female voice said. Whoever it was sounded so far away, scratchy. The voice sounded so familiar, Quistis just couldn't place who it was.

"Hello?" Quistis said again, frowning as she strained to hear. 

"Quis, its Rinoa" the voice said coming a bit more into focus. Quistis raised her eyebrows, Rinoa sounded almost panicked.

"What's going on?" Quistis asked her posture straightening immediately.

"You have to get out of Shumi, Seifer he's –" with that the door to the hut banged open, the night air blowing a smattering of leaves across the floor. There in the dark doorframe stood Seifer, his trench coat flapping around him. The Hyperion on his hand was drenched with fresh blood. 

Quistis fumbled backward, the phone sliding out of her hand. It clattered loudly to the floor as she reached for her Save the Queen. 

"Trepe" Seifer said with a grin. Her hand clasped around the ever-familiar handle of her whip. The hut was small, there was hardly any room to use the lengthily weapon. His gunblade was shorter, quicker. She knew she was at a disadvantage.

"What do you want?" Quistis asked trying to put as much distance between them as possible. He stopped for a moment, staring deeply into her azure eyes.

"Your blood" he whispered his voice filling the tiny space. He lurched for her, and she dodged ducking under his arm. Her foot caught on his boot and she went tumbling forward, brining him down with her. His head hit hard on the night stand sending it tumbling to its side.

Her doll crashed to the floor, its porcelain face shattering on the wood floor. It stared at her with one eye as she struggled under Seifer's heavy unconscious form. 

In the darkness she could barely make out the tiny green mist that was floating out of the gaping blackness of the doll's face.

It seeped towards her, rolling across the floor. It almost seemed to have a life of its own. It touched along her arm, caressing her pale skin. It tickled across her lips and leaked into her mouth as she breathed in. It snaked along her blond hair, covering all of her. 

A strangeness over came Quistis, her vision obscured by the green mist she just couldn't get away from. Seifer was so heavy collapsed on top of her. Panic started to over take her.

"Help!" she screamed, just as the darkness overtook her.


	5. Beaten

**------'-----,---**Chapter Five**------'-----,---**   
**------'-----,---** Beaten **------'-----,---**

_Get up Quistis._

Her internal need to protect herself was screaming at her. Its voice thundering through every bone in her body. She needed to move but there was something heavy on top of her. Her muscles screamed to be free from the weight. 

Carefully she peeled her blue eyes open, her lashes crusted together. Her eyes had been watering badly, the secretion clinging to her cheeks. Cheek pressed hard against the floor she found herself staring into the single blue eye of the doll she had spent hours pulling from the dirt. Its filthy dress torn by the white broken shards that had sliced through it as it hit the ground.

Quistis took a deep breath and suddenly remembered Seifer. Seifer was the eight on top of her, he had hit his head. 

Seifer was alive?

With tremendous effort she rolled over, shoving him off of her. He lay there sprawled on the floor, his trench coat spread out around him. His eyes were closed and he looked so peaceful there. She reached out and brushed a piece of his blond hair back from his face. Then suddenly his eyes flashed open and his fingers clenched around her wrist. 

"Just what do you think you are doing?" he asked with a growl. He got to his feet dragging her to her own beside him. 

"Seifer" she whispered softly. Quistis remembered the day when they had dragged him off. His screams for Matron, and when he screamed her own name. It had broken her heart, but there had been nothing she could do. 

Almost in slow motion Seifer started moving for his gunblade, his face contorting in anger. Her heart started to beat faster, thumping hard against her rib cage. His grip was digging into her wrist, tighter and tighter. Then with a sickening crack she felt her bone break. Seifer was so much stronger then before.

_Run Quistis._

Obeying her inner voice she brought her boot heel hard into his knee. He faltered his grip slackening, and she made a break for it. Her booted feet pounded hard on the wooden floor as she left all her possessions behind along with a quickly moving Seifer. 

Moving into the cobble stoned street she headed for the elevator, running as fast as she could. Seifer strode calmly after her, his black gunblade mingling with the shadows of the night. Quistis slipped suddenly her body crashing to the ground. Looking around she noticed it was a puddle of blood, Baker's headless body resting near by. Slowly she raised her good hand staring at the blood on it in disbelief. 

_Keep Moving._

Climbing to her feet she rushed into the waiting elevator. Jabbing the button she watched the doors close slowly, leaving Seifer on the other side of them. Collapsing on the read seats she took a moment to catch her breath as the elevator moved. Quistis hadn't been so terrified since the last battle with Ultimecia. Without a doubt Seifer would kill her if he caught her. She had to get the hell off this Island.

The Elevator doors opened again and she rushed into the upper part of the Shumi dome. Her eyes quickly took in the area, noticing the two dead guards and the still dormant Ultima Draw point. Clutching her hand around her broken wrist she rushed out of the dome to the only car parked outside. It was equipped for the snow of the island with heavy chains on its tires. 

It wasn't in the best condition but it looks beautiful to Quistis. The black car contrasting with the snow. She trudged through the snow towards it glancing over her shoulder to see if Seifer was closing in on her. There was no sign of his tale tell coat as she yanked the door open and climbed into the driver's seat. 

The luck of Hyne must have been with her because the keys were in the ignition. Keeping her weight off her wrist she turned the key and the engine roared to life. Pain was pulsing up her arm but she tried to grit her teeth and bear it. Reaching for the gearshift she was completely oblivious to the man dressed in black outside her window. 

Only when his hand came crashing through the window was she aware of his existence. The glass shards showered down upon her, finding their way into her skin. The door was flung open, and then a strong person was dragging her out by her hair. 

The snow met her in a cold embrace as she found herself sprawled out on the ground. It was all happening too quickly. There were three men standing over her, their forms shrouded in black. One of them still had a hand buried in her golden tresses.

"What do you want from me?" she asked her voice shaking. Her whole body was trembling like a leaf the snow soaking into her cloths. Once again she was hauled to her feet, but more brutality as they man handled her. 

"Who are you" she asked trying to make her voice sound commanding. Failing she couldn't stop it as she clutched her broken wrist to her chest. 

"Run" one of them whispered as the other released her hair. Quistis Trepe didn't have to be told twice. She was dashing through the snow away from the black car, the black clothed men and the black Hyperion in Seifer's hand.

The sound of a gunshot rang through the air and her world exploded in pain. She felt her leg give way and she came tumbling to the ground. Her blood seeped onto the snow staining it crimson. A scream tore from her throat the pain over bearing. 

Rolling over she looked back at the three men who were soon upon her. Their fists found her flesh sending her mind revealing. Never had she received such a beating in her life. Then in the distance she could see grey on white.

Seifer moved in front of the car, his gun blade dragging in the snow. What was he doing? He pulled something from his pocket, shining in the light of the full moon. Silver, he made a movement with his hand and there was fire. A lighter, a lighter he was slowly lowering to the white cloth hanging out of the gas tank.

Quistis' eyes widened as the three men turned to look at Seifer. Then the car exploded in a shower of glass and flame. The sound filled the area, rolling through all of them with a tangible power. Glass rained down upon the snow like pretty snowflakes. Smoke stained the night sky obscuring the stars, the flames licking up Seifer's coat. As the fire rages on behind him he moved towards the three men. It was the perfect drop back for the rage in his features. The tight grip around his gunblade. 

"I'll be with you in a moment, Quistis" he whispered softly meeting the first man head to head. His gunblade glimmered through the air as it sliced into the black wearing man. The sound of gunblade fire filled her ears, and suddenly she knew she had to move again.

So much pain filled her, it would be easier to let herself die in the cold, cold grave of snow. 

Shaking off the thought she started pulling herself towards the forest. If only she could find a good place to hide. Praying to Hyne, her muttered prayer whispers soft.

She collapsed, her face falling into the snow. Too much hurt, too much panic. The sounds of footsteps in the snow were as loud as thunder. A hand on her shoulder, being rolled over. The stars so brilliant in the sky. Seifer placing a foot firmly on each side of her then squatting down over her.

Softly he reached out and touched her hair, brushing it back from her tear stained face. She cocked her head to one side puzzled by the gentle touch. Then slowly he placed his gunblade to her throat. A sob escaped her lips.

"Seifer. Please no" she whispered staring into his green eyes. There was a noise over head, the sound of a great engine. She looked up past Seifer and there amongst the stars was the red form of the Ragnarock. He turned and looked up at it, his gaze matching hers for a long moment. Then his head whipped around to stare down into her eyes. 

Then something snapped and his eyes became crystal clear. His hands started shaking uncontrollably. He stood his gunblade falling to the ground beside her. Seifer stood over her staring at his shaking hands.

"What have I done?" he whispered her eyes tracing the lines of his palms. 

"Seifer?" Quistis whimpered as the Ragnarock started to land by the still flaming car. He looked down at her tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Quistis, forgive me" he said softly. Moving away from her he dropped to his knees in the white. 

"How are you still alive?" she asked with a tiny groan.

"It won't come off" he whispered burring his hands in the snow. He rubbed at them frantically, a sob falling from his mouth. With her good hand she pushed herself beside him.

"What is it Seifer?"" she asked meekly. Slowly he turned his head and stared deep into her eyes.

"The blood" he said stonily, calmly. Then a scream ripped from his throat, and she fell back onto the snow. A female voice was calling her name in the distance. Selphie, she thought but she couldn't be sure. Her leg was still bleeding so badly, and her whole body was shivering from the cold.

"I killed them all" Seifer shouted rising to his feet. Suddenly Selphie was there kneeling beside her and Zell was saying something to Seifer.

"Don't worry Quistis, we aren't going to let him hurt you" Selphie's voice was as warm as the healing magic she was using on Quistis. Her bones were healing, her leg was healing. The bruises the men had left on her were healing. But she was still exhausted. There was the sound of flesh meeting flesh, a fist on face.

"Don't hurt Seifer" Quistis cried into the night waiting for Zell's reply.

"But look what he did to you!" Zell responded slamming one fist into a palm. He was fully ready to hit Seifer again and didn't have any problems with it. 

"He didn't kill me, and he saved me from the others" Quistis said looking at the three corpses lying in the distance. Seifer had killed them so quickly, too easily. Blowing up the car had just been a distraction. Or maybe he just wanted to cause a little extra chaos.

"Lets just get the both of you back to the garden, we can sort things out there" Irvine said helping Quistis to her feet. His hands were so warm as he led her into the Ragnarock. Zell shoved Seifer along, half dragging him through the snow. 

Zell decided it would be best if he stayed in the cockpit with them all. That way they could keep an eye on him. 

Quistis sat on one of the seat benches wrapped in a blanket. Her eyes never left Seifer's form. He was pacing the back of the ship muttering under his breath. Occasionally he would stop and stare at his hands for long moments, before forking them through his hair. At least Selphie had thought to grab his gunblade but not give it back to him.

Something was obviously very wrong with him. His mutterings were of pain and anguish and constant talk of blood on his hands. He was not the proud man she had once known, now he was broken much like the doll she had left behind in Shumi.

"What happened to you Seifer?" Quistis whispered softly under her breath.

**------'-----,---------'-----,---**

**Authors notes:**

I am sorry it took me so long to update this. But I hope that I have got my thoughts in order and can get on a more regular schedule for this. I've been having some personal problems in my life that I needed to get sorted before I could pick this back up again. 

Thank you to everyone who has waited patiently or not so patiently for an update on this. 

A special thanks to those who have stood beside me through all the troubles: Sharpedge, Jacks, FalteringHues, Kalouha, Neha, Athenaktt, Brazen Angel. and Mari. I love you all.


	6. Damaged

  
  
  
  


** ------'-----,---**Chapter Six**------'-----,---**   
**------'-----,--- **Damaged **------'-----,---**

  
  
  
  
It was your average day in BalambGarden. Lunch hour had come and people had split into her different groups. Everyone at the Garden had always been so cliquish. Certain people only hung out in certain places. Even though they all wore the same uniforms, there was still rivalry amongst them.   
  
The sounds of the Ragnarock resounded over the students sitting peacefully in the quad. Many of them looked up from their lunch to watch as the red ship landed on the field in front of the now stationary Balamb Garden. Everyone expected to see Xu or Zell standing at the top of the hatch when it lowered.   
  
Many of them gasped or dropped items of food in surprise, when they say who was really there. Framed by the red outline of the ship standing tall and proud was Seifer Almasy. His telltale trench coat flared out around his legs, the red crosses blazing. Beside him stood a weak looking Quistis Trepe still wearing her blood drenched snow clothes. The two of them walked slowly down the walkway heading for the main gate. Their two blond heads were a matching pair that glinted in the sunlight.   
  
Zell, Selphie and Irvine were following behind them Selphie talking excitedly. At the last possible moment, Seifer stopped staring at the steps leading up into the garden.   
  
"I tried to kill everyone here" Seifer uttered softly. Quistis reached out slowly to put her hand on his shoulder. He shrugged away from her giving her an angry look. She yanked her hand back hurt sliding across her face.   
  
"Seifer, we have to get you inside" Quistis said quietly.   
  
"I tried to kill them all" he said coldly harshly, forking a hand hard through his hair.   
  
"And we tried to have you executed in return" Quistis said reaching out to take his hand. He took a step back his hands curling around his Hyperion. Something inside Seifer snapped at that moment. He rushed forward in leaps and bounds his blade dragging hard across the metal floor.   
  
"Squall!! I've come for you!" Seifer shouted his voice echoing through out the halls of the garden. His stance was one of years and years of stored up rage.   
  
"Squall!!" Seifer roared again his voice booming out. Students rushed from their rooms, from the cafeteria to see what was going on. All eyes were on him. Quistis was shoving through the crowds of people, stumbling out behind him.   
  
"Move" a voice called from the elevator area. Rinoa strode forward Squall's black leather jacket resting on her shoulders, the white feathers rustling. She looked every bit the icy sorceress, her eyes only on her former lover.   
  
"Seifer" Rinoa said softly tears welling in her chocolate brown eyes.   
  
"'Noa?" Seifer asked softly. It was a jolt to his very system to see her standing there in his rival's jacket.   
  
"Squall is dead, don't you remember?" Rinoa said the cold brittle words escaping from her lips. The whole garden stood silent, none of them had heard those words uttered since the memorial service. Rarely did anyone speak of Squall's passing, let alone Rinoa Heartily.   
  
"Squall... is dead?" Seifer whispered, the tiny sound reaching every ear in the crowd. He sunk to the ground in disbelief. The Hyperion extending from his grip, he stared at the blade. Pain contorted his face, and stained his eyes.   
  
"Seifer, get up" Rinoa commanded placing her hands on her hips. The former knight didn't move but instead seemed to stoop lower towards the floor. Quistis glared at Rinoa, amazed at her lack of compassion. It was unusual for Rinoa to act like that. Sure, she had been cold since the death of her lover. But that was just ridiculous. Maybe Rinoa hated Seifer more then Quistis realized.   
  
Slowly, carefully, Quistis lowered herself to the floor beside Seifer. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and he raised his head at the gentle touch. Their eyes met and Quistis was amazed at the tears rolling down his cheeks. It was a sight she never thought she would see. There was something seriously wrong with Seifer Almasy.   
  
"Come on Seifer, lets get you out of here" She said, so softly that only he could hear it. Slowly they helped each other to their feet.   
  
Both of them were weak and tired, a sad sight to be in front of the whole Garden. Carefully the two of them trudged through the mass of students and into the infirmary.   
  
"Rita, get Quistis into a bed. I'll take care of Seifer" Dr. Kadowaki said as they walked in. Rita her assistant quickly moved forward ushering Quistis into a side room. Things never changed in the infirmary: hardly any students, the clean smell of antiseptic.   
  
"Lay down, Hun" Rita said laying the former instructor down on the bed. Quistis had to admit to herself that it was nice to give her aching body a rest. Healing magic only did so much. The fatigue of the pain would be hitting her any minute now. She knew that from all the classes she had taught about the overuse of healing magic.   
  
Suddenly Quistis heard Dr. Kadowaki scream from down the hallway. What in Hyne's name was going wrong now? Quistis hardly had time to leap from the bed and head down the hallway before Seifer went rushing by in a blur of grey. Quistis started after him leaving Rita to deal with the wounded Dr. Kadowaki.   
  
Seifer rushed into the central part of the garden and grabbed the first cadet he saw. It was thin blond girl, and she looked scared out of her mind as Seifer held his gunblade to her throat.   
  
"Must kill the blond woman" Seifer uttered his voice crazy with pain. He laughed, his whole body shaking in response.   
  
"Seifer, stop this!" Quistis said exasperated. There was just too much going on - too much pain and too much of this insanity. He turned slowly and looked at her, his eyes clicking. He dropped the cadet, her limp form dropping to the floor. She glanced up at Quistis for only a moment before taking off at top speed.   
  
"Mission statement, Kill Quistis Trepe" he said slowly his voice methodical and tight. He took one jerky step towards her. She took a step back in return, terror violating through her body. Seifer could be a very scary man.   
  
"No, Seifer, don't you remember me?" she asked hoping to get into his head. He flew forward then tackling her to the ground. The blade of his Hyperion bit into her arm, spreading her blood across the marble floor.   
  
"Gotta kill. Must kill. All I can do is kill" Seifer breathed heavily. Then suddenly all his weight fell limp on her. Quistis then saw the long grey tranquilizer drat protruding from his neck. Her eyes trailed up to the second floor balcony where Irvine stood a gun in his hand. Smoke still rose from the barrel as he raised it slowly and tapped it against the brim of his hat.   
  
With a sigh Quistis fell limp against the floor, almost oblivious to the weight of Seifer.   
  
  
  


**------'-----,---------'-----,---**

  
  
  
  
"This has to be done, Quistis" Xu said softly her voice cracking across the meeting room much like Quistis' very own Save the Queen.   
  
"So you are going to drag him down to the MD level and cage him like an animal?" Quistis asked coldly folding her arms over her chest. She eyed Xu coolly, awaiting an answer. Her arm was covered in her own blood, the sleeve of her snowsuit in tatters. There had been no time to change.   
  
"That is what he is Ms. Trepe, an animal. One that is highly dangerous and one that we can not control" Xu responded, a prim smile coming to her face. Quistis wanted nothing more then to ram her fist into the brunette's nose.   
  
"Seifer will not like being in any kind of containment, he will rebel" Rinoa broke in from her chair. She leaned forward pushing her hands along the wood of the table.   
  
"I don't think it would be a good idea to make him angry" Quistis agreed softly turning her glare back to Xu's chestnut eyes.   
  
"I am the Headmaster and I say he is being imprisoned until we can figure out what to do" Xu said.   
  
"Yeah, what exactly do you plan on doing with him?" Irvine asked. Seifer was spread out on the floor beside him still knocked out from the tranquilizer gun. The gun had been reloaded and the barrel now rested against Seifer's neck. The trigger rested casually by Irvine's finger.   
  
"The meeting of the United Council is in a few days. Since Seifer belongs to Esthar, it will be up to them what to do with him" Xu replied nodding curtly as if everyone should have known the information.   
  
"Does that mean the Garden will be leaving for Deling City soon?" Rinoa asked looking up. The United Council always met in Deling City, all the Garden flying there for the occasion. There was always a big dinner, and then a long council meeting. Then the next day there was a huge party. It was an event that people around the world looked forward to.   
  
"We move out first thing tomorrow morning, so I suggest we all get some rest" Xu advised all of them as she leaned over to straighten some papers on the table.   
  
"Xu, can I be placed in charge of Seifer's recovery until the Council meeting" Quistis asked.   
  
"Ms. Trepe, that delicate job is to be handled by a SeeD. If you have forgotten you are on probation. I will be assigning someone else to the task" Xu said not bothering to look up at Quistis. Irvine and Zell picked up the helpless, unconscious Seifer and pulled him from the room. Quistis followed in their wake all the way down the MD level.   
  
They dropped him in the center of the room and slowly a giant cage was lowered down over him. It hit the ground with a loud metallic clank that reverberated through Quistis.   
  
"You commin', Quis?" Zell asked as he and Irvine headed for the elevator.   
  
"I'll catch up later" Quistis said softly. The two men left her alone in the presence of one of the most wanted criminals ever to walk the land. The blond woman moved forward reaching out to wrap her hands around the bars.   
  
She looked down at Seifer for a long time, watching his soft breath. It scared the hell of her to see him so helpless, so lost. Quistis wasn't sure why she had the aching feeling to help him. Maybe it was because she had failed him before.   
  
Failed him as an Instructor, and failed him as a witness at the execution trial. Her words had not been enough to save him, none of theirs had. The real question was: why hadn't Esthar gone through with the execution they had fought for so hard?   
  
"Good night, Seifer" she said softly. Quistis turned and left him there alone in his prison. She trudged up to her dorm room. As she walked in she was suddenly over washed with the feeling of disappointment. She had left everything back in Shumi.   
  
Collapsing on the bed she closed her eyes and allowed sleep to take her at last. Tomorrow she could try and help Seifer, no matter what Xu said.   
  
  
  


**------'-----,---------'-----,---**

  
  
  
  
It was only a few short hours later a male voice booming over the intercom stirred her from her slumber.   
  
_"Attention, code red. I repeat cod red. All medical staff to the MD level immediately" _   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**------'-----,---------'-----,---**   
  
**Authors Notes: **   
Sorry for the cliffhanger, well not really but you know ;).   
  
Seiftis Forever Awards are here again! Everyone at the board would love it if you would come and join us and nominate your favorite Seiftis Stories.   



	7. Collapsed

  
  
  
  


** ------'-----,---**Chapter Seven**------'-----,---**   
**------'-----,--- **Collapsed **------'-----,---**

  
  
  
  
"Attention, code red. I repeat code red. All medical staff to the MD level immediately"   
  
Quistis was up and out of bed in a flash. Tossing her dirty, sodden clothes back on she headed out of her room. The clothes reeked of blood, as it was still caked onto the fabric. She took only a moment to damn herself for leaving all of her clothes in Shumi, along with all of her possessions.   
  
Running at top speed through the garden, she shoved anyone in her way. Her bare feet pounded loudly on the marble floor. Students were looking out their doors, eyes watching her. All of it seemed to blur as she pushed herself to her limit. Her heart was pounding, her lungs burning as she ached for every breath.   
  
Skidding to a stop before the elevator, she looked down the walkway carefully. Seeing Xu entering the elevator she opted for the stairs instead. Running down the metal stairs reminded her of her days as a cadet. She would take the stairs everyday, to keep herself in tip top condition. Even Quistis could admit she had started to slack a little when she became an instructor.   
  
She sighed skipping the last few steps to the MD level. Quistis stood before the metal door, with its tiny square window. Fearing what was on the other side she shoved it open. There was no way Xu was going to leave her out of this.   
  
Quistis needed to know why Seifer wanted to kill her.   
  
The medical team was all ready there prepping a long white stretcher. The massive cage was raising slowly, Seifer's prone form lying on the ground in the center of it. Quistis stared in disbelief. His left arm was torn open, flaps of skin hanging rigidly to the floor. His right hand was covered in his own blood and skin under his fingernails.   
  
The most amazing thing was the tiny silver wires that gleamed under the chunks of blood and gristle on his left arm. They were of a strange metal bristling up with barbs to scratch and cut on any of the medical personal that dared to touch him.   
  
"One, two, three, up" on of the orderlies called as they hoisted him up on to the stretcher. Quistis took a few steps closer watching as they wheeled him away. His face ashen, eyes blankly staring at her. Her breath caught in her throat, as she still panted from her run.   
  
A pool of his blood spread across the cement floor. Where had the guards gone, why wasn't someone watching him? What were those wires?   
  
Why did he do this to himself?   
  
"Miss Trepe!" Xu's vice cracked through her like a whip. Quistis eyes fluttered shut and she took a deep breath. Then she turned with a smile to a woman she had once called a friend. Life as commander had really turned Xu into a bitch.   
  
"Hey Xu" Quistis said kindly. She hoped that Xu wasn't in one of her moods. Quistis knew that Xu held a long time grudge against her, and probably always would. Sometimes Quistis wished she had never been the perfect little SeeD prodigy. She was surprised Cid had never set up a photo shoot to make her the SeeD poster child.   
  
"What am I going to do with you Quistis?" Xu said softly sighing. Quistis arched an blond eyebrow and looked Xu up and down.   
  
"All I wanted to do was to get you back to what you used to be, you were one of the best Seed we had" Xu continued glancing down at the floor. Xu sighed and tossed her shoulders back, raising her head to meet Quistis' gaze.   
  
"SeeD Trepe, salute your commanding officer" Xu snapped. Quistis blinked the change was so sudden, but she quickly fell in line. Snapping her hand up to her forehead she straightened her back, feet together. Years of military training were ingrained into her being and her habits. Standing at attention was one thing you never forgot.   
  
Xu slowly walked around her sizing her up and down. Then the commander stood in front of her frowning.   
  
"Is it true there you came here to visit one prisoner Seifer Almasy, after you expressly told by a commanding officer to leave him alone?" Xu asked standing ram rod straight hands behind her back.   
  
"Xu, he was hurt..." Quistis was quickly interrupted by Xu.   
  
"Answer the question, Trepe" Xu snapped.   
  
"Yes" Quistis said through gritted teeth. Xu nodded curtly, acknowledging her answer.   
  
"There by you are susceptible to punishment since you were all ready on suspension, and did not follow orders?" Xu said with a no nonsense tone in her voice. Quistis fought the urge to cry and sigh. What could Xu possibly do to her now.   
  
"Yes, ma'am" Quistis answered.   
  
"Quistis Trepe, you are hereby being temporarily demoted to Cadet" Xu said. Quistis opened her mouth to protest but Xu quieted her with a sharp look.   
  
"You are to report to the laundry room to collect some Cadet garments in the proper size" Xu said her eyes traveling over the trampled bloody clothes that Quistis wore.   
  
"Yes Ma'am!" Quistis snapped trying to control the rage in her voice. She was so angry all her hard work and accomplishments, being sent right back to scrubbing the toilets with the other cadets. Quistis saluted and then went to move past Xu.   
  
"Cadet Trepe" Xu snapped turning to look at her. Quistis slowly turned around raising her hand to salute.   
  
"Yes ma'am" Quistis spat.   
  
"You have been chosen as one of the cadets to watch over prisoner Almasy, you will report to the conference hall at 0800 hours listen to the report of his condition" Xu said moving passed her quickly. Quistis watched the commander leave, her eyes wide with shock.   
  
Maybe Xu wasn't such a bitch after all.   
  
Quistis shrugged and walked through the door to the stairwell. Looking up it she grinned before she started to move. If she was going to be a cadet, she needed to get back into the hang of things.   
  
  
  


**------'-----,---------'-----,---**

  
  
  
  
Quistis stood with the other cadets at the back of the room. All of them dressed the same, all of them in a prim row. At least the incredibly itchy uniform was clean, and Quistis was thankful for that. She had confiscated three uniforms from the closet in the laundry room, and threw her old clothes away.   
  
She hadn't gone back to sleep; her body was too tired and too sore after the beating she had taken just recently. There were too many things going on to keep her thoughts straight.   
  
All of her friends sat around the table, not one of them glancing back at her. Irvine looked the most relaxed with his feet propped up on the table, and hat tilted down over his eyes.   
  
Dr. Kadowaki stood at the head of the room a bunch of x-ray slides in her hands. A large light hung on the wall behind her, and she was taping the x-ray slides one at a time to it. Quistis recognized Seifer's body immediately, but there was something definitely strange about the slides.   
  
"Make your report" Xu said to the doctor.   
  
"This as you can tell, is Seifer Almasy" Dr Kadowaki said motioning to the X-rays.   
  
"But these," the doctor said running her fingers over the brilliant white " are the wires that run along Seifer's bones"   
  
"What are they used for?" Xu asked frowning a bit. Quistis frowned as well remembering the barbed wires that had been protruding from Seifer's flesh.   
  
"They are used to increase his physical level ratings and attributes; it basically puts his stats off all known charts" Dr. Kadowaki responded taping a graph up beside the x-rays. Quistis stared in disbelief, Seifer's strength and stamina were amazing now. His body was a perfect working machine, it baffled her.   
  
"Any idea who did this to him?" Xu asked staring at the chart, and the x-rays.   
  
"We have no leads, the metal comes from an unknown source. It's unlike anything we have ever seen before" Dr. Kadowaki answer was soft and quiet. It must have been hard for to admit the puzzle was driving her mad. Xu hesitated for a long moment before speaking again.   
  
"Can they be removed?" Xu asked.   
  
"If we don't remove them, he may die. But the surgery to remove them is a higher risk then leaving them alone" the doctor said. Quistis looked to Xu realizing the life of her student was in the commander's hands.   
  
"You are all dismissed, except Cadet Trepe" Xu said standing up and brushing off her skirt. The other filed out of the room, Selphie slowing to flash her a smile.   
  
"The autopsy reports on those men that attacked you was finished this morning" Xu said turning to look at Quistis who hadn't moved.   
  
"They have no names, and no finger prints. There are no visible markings or tattoos. They don't exist in our database. Quistis it's almost like they were made up" Dr. Kadowaki said softly. Quistis' eyes widened in shock.   
  
"Their bodies too were laced with the same metal as Seifer's" Xu said to Quistis. Her heart leapt in response. What the hell did all of this mean?   
  
"I - I don't understand" Quistis stammered out.   
  
"None of us do" Dr. Kadowaki said starting to pull the x-rays down.   
  
"You can join the others on the MD level to clean the floor before Seifer is moved back to his cell" Xu snapped.   
  
"Yes ma'am" Quistis said saluting before fleeing the room. She headed for the MD level, her thoughts swimming more then ever before.   
  
  
  


**------'-----,---------'-----,---**

  
  
  
  
"Did you see Irvine in meeting today, he looked so hot" one of the cadets said to another with a giggle. Quistis rolled her eyes and dragged her brush harder against the cement. It was so strange and surreal to be cleaning up Seifer's blood.   
  
It didn't help much that two of the Cadets were total morons.   
  
"I would so go out with him" the other cadet responded with a giggle. Those men that attacked her, they didn't even have fingerprints. Their fists had felt real enough, the bullet they had put in her leg was the most pain she had ever felt. She winced now just thinking about it.   
  
"And Zell? His hair is sooooooo cute" The other girl squealed in response with a giggle. Quistis finally had enough. She stood up tossing her brush hard on the ground with a clatter. She was going to give these girls a piece of her mind.   
  
Just as she opened her mouth Zell, the sooooo cute one himself, came running down the stairs.   
  
"Quistis you gotta come quick, Seifer's flipping out and he's asking for you" Zell said in a rush before heading back up the stairs. With a single glance at Seifer's blood on the floor, Quistis shot after Zell heading for the infirmary.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**------'-----,---------'-----,---**   
  
  
  
A/N: Thank you everyone for all your wonderful reviews, they really mean alot to me.   
  
  
  



	8. Separated

  
  
  
  


** ------'-----,---**Chapter Eight**------'-----,---**   
**------'-----,--- **Separated**------'-----,---**

  
  
  
  
Seifer was asking for her?   
  
Quistis was shocked and amazed that Xu has actually let Zell go get her. Zell was running paces ahead of her, heading for the infirmary. They burst into the white place, which was filled with people.   
  
"Quistis" she heard Seifer's hoarse voice scream from the back room. Quistis cringed and looked to Xu awaiting her orders. Xu nodded and gestured crisply for Quistis to go into the room.   
  
With a glance around at the others she headed to the back room. The hallway seemed like a short walk, the door looming before her. She was scared, Quistis wasn't afraid to admit that to herself. With a great effort she reached out and eased the door open.   
  
The room before her lay in ruins, a shadow of the sterile place it once was. The bed lay on its side, pieces of its metal frame tossed about the room. The bed side lamp and been thrown to the ground, the light bulb shattered. Trashcan over turned, lying on the tile floor. All the pictures had been torn hanging helter skelter on the walls.   
  
Seifer sat against the back wall, his knees drawn up to his chest. His hands buried in his hair. His left arm was bandaged, and wrapped with medical tape. He was muttering softly under his breath between sobs.   
  
"Seifer?" Quistis said her voice floating out across the room. His head snapped up, eyes boring into her. Those green eyes were changed, they looked so haunted. He had ghosts lurking deep with in.   
  
"Quistis!" he exclaimed and in one smooth movement was up off his feet. He crossed the room, swooping her into his arms. Quistis froze there trapped in the warm confines of Seifer Almasy's arms. He was incredibly cold, no body heat coming from him.   
  
"You're not dead" he said softly his lips close to her ear. His voice was so full of pain and terrible emotions. It struck a chord so deep in her heart. Taking a deep breath she longed to feel the ground beneath her feet again.   
  
"Why would I be dead?" Quistis asked as Seifer slowly lowered her to her feet. She shifted uncomfortably as he took a few steps back.   
  
"I thought I had killed you" he passed for a moment "did I?" he asked cocking his head. He reached out and touched her face softly. His hand was like ice, she could feel every curve in his finger prints as the dragged along her face.   
  
"Are you a ghost?" he continued his hand floating over her cascade of blond hair. He pulled a piece softly, watching it fall across his skin.   
  
"No, Seifer, I am not a ghost" she responded softly looking up into his green eyes. They reflected a lost little boy, the ghosts still lingering there. They were rimmed in red, tears tugging at the corners. It hurt her so much to see Seifer crying, that tears sprang to her own eyes.   
  
"I didn't kill you, like I killed so many others" he fumbled backward for a moment. He tripped over a piece of the bed and turned to give it a dirty look. He kicked it sending it clattering across the floor.   
  
"All of their blood on my hands" he whispered. He took a step back and then began pacing. Quistis' eyes watched him, moving back and forth, clad only in his leather pants. He was staring at his hands wiping them occasionally on his pants.   
  
"I killed Squall" Seifer said stopping suddenly. He tilted his head back and looked at the ceiling laughing. He shook his head, tiny pieces of blond hair springing forward to hang over his eyes.   
  
"Squall died in time compression" Quistis' voice was shaky surprising even her. The tears were flowing freely down her cheeks now. None of this made any sense; her world had been turned upside down.   
  
"How do you think he died? I met him there on that plane of dust and I killed him. I ran my gunblade through his heart, robbing Rinoa of his love forever" his words cut into Quistis like tiny knives. Seifer laughed again reaching to touch the hilt of his Hyperion that wasn't there. Quistis was relieved they had taken away his weapon.   
  
"So you were the victor in the end, Seifer. Does that make you happy?" Quistis said bitterly. Her voice was cold and almost seemed to chill the very air. More tears threatened to come but she banished them away, trying to concentrate only now on him.   
  
"No, it wasn't a fair fight. He was weak, crying out for his precious love. I stole his life, just more blood on my hands" Seifer whispered staring across the room at her. Quistis watched him walk over to the window and stare out it for a few long moments. He lowered his head watching the sun play across the tile floor.   
  
"Seifer, you are not well. We need to know what happened to you in Esthar" She said. He looked up at her slowly, rage quickly overcoming his sad eyes.   
  
"You had me executed!" he exclaimed suddenly shoving himself away from the window.   
  
"No Seifer, I fought for you. We all fought for you, we were there for you" Quistis said softly immediately coming to her defense.   
  
"So tell me ghost, where were you when they did this to me!" he screamed tearing the medical bandages off his arm. The wires that ran along his bones spilled from his torn flesh, his skin tearing more with a sickening sound. She clamped a hand over her mouth and turned looking away from him.   
  
"Don't look away; look at what they did to me!" Seifer exclaimed. He crossed the room grabbing her by her hair forcing her to look down at his mangled arm. She yelped in terror as new tears rolled down her face. He was so strong as he held her there, Quistis' face inches from his mangled flesh.   
  
She studied the silver wiring, the blood caked to it. It was almost liquid moving with a sickening slithering sound as he flexed his muscles.   
  
"Who did this to you Seifer?" Quistis asked softly as he slowly started to pet her hair. Carefully a released her, and she came up into a standing position. They were uncomfortably close, his breath tickling her face.   
  
"Quistis, you feel far too real to be a ghost" he said his hand touching her face again. He left a trail of his blood there, streaked down her pale face.   
  
"Who did this?" she asked again more firmly this time. He scowled moving away from her, beginning his pacing again. He was muttering under his breath, just soft enough so he couldn't hear it.   
  
"They did this to me. They always came in the night pulling at me, prodding me with their silver knives" he whispered, she moved closer as he mumbled more under his breath forking a hand through his hair.   
  
"Who are they? Tell me Seifer" she said touching his arm. He looked at her fiercely, and then looked around the room eyes filling with terror.   
  
"It was a room like this; have to get out of here. Have to get out" Seifer said he headed for the window, trying to tug it open.   
  
"No Seifer!" she shouted rushing after him pulling at his arms.   
  
"They'll come again; they'll make me kill again. Always killing, all the blood" he growled angrily fumbling with the window that was not meant to open. Then with a scream he punched his hand right through the glass that was supposed to be unbreakable. Using his hands he shoved all the glass out of the window, ignoring the gashes it left across his skin.   
  
Seifer shoved her away then, and she was sent sprawling to the floor.   
  
"They told me I was the first, that I was the only one. That there would be more, more to kill, more for killing" he whispered as he climbed into the window sill.   
  
"Seifer, please no, let us help you" she said struggling to get up. Would her body ever recover from all this pain? Would she ever get a moments rest? She climbed to her feet trying to ignore all the hurting.   
  
"They wanted me to hurt you, I never wanted to hurt you Quistis" he whispered again as he shoved himself out the window.   
  
"No!" Quistis screamed rushing towards the window. Luckily the Garden had been moving over ground, and not the ocean. She breathed almost relieved as she climbed up onto the window. The blond woman could not fight her urge to go after him.   
  
Then the door burst open and the doctor and Xu came storming into the room.   
  
"He went out the window, I am going after him" Quistis said staring Xu straight in the eyes.   
  
"You are not" Xu said grabbing her by the arm and yanking her down from the window. Quistis fought against her friend, reaching for the opening to the outside. Even she couldn't explain why she wanted to go after Seifer so badly.   
  
"You won't survive the jump" the doctor said bending down slowly to pick up the bandages left behind by him.   
  
"Then neither will he!" Quistis exclaimed struggling to head to the window again. After all this time the thought of Seifer being dead again was terribly frightening.   
  
"The wires, they make him far more durable then any normal human could ever be" Xu said softly as Quistis began to slump to the floor in defeat.   
  
"Who will go after him?" Quistis asked.   
  
"We arrive in Deling City in a few days for the meeting of the council, you are required to attend. We will send some SeeD after him for now" Xu said struggling to keep her standing. Quistis felt as if all the life had been sucked out of her, she had failed him again.   
  
"He will kill them" Quistis whispered. Xu stared down at her, into her blue eyes.   
  
"It is all we can do, Quistis" Xu said softly pulling her to an upright position. Quistis nodded looking over at the doctor.   
  
"She needs rest Xu, her body still hasn't recovered from the wounds she took in Shumi" Dr. Kowdaski said up righting a trash can to toss the bloody bandages in. Xu nodded taking in Quistis' haggard appearance.   
  
"Stay in your room till we reach Deling, get some rest Quistis" Xu said letting her go. Quistis nodded and headed out of the room almost in a trance. Her eyes felt heavy with tears, her voice thick with sobs.   
  
Quistis walked like living dead through the halls, ignoring the stares from the other students. They looked at her terrified, their eyes always watching her.   
  
Once in her room she stared out her window, looking at her own reflection. His trail of blood remained on her cheek. She looked at her ghostly reflection of herself, watching as tears trailed down her face.   
  
She had let him escape. Once again she had failed him, as always she was unable to help her best student. Her mind reeled with the possibilities of what had happened to him. What had they done to him?   
  
Now he was out there wounded and alone. Half crazed and now a creature of someone else's making. Always babbling to himself about the blood that was on his hands. The guilt of all the people he had killed hanging heavily in his heart.   
  
Both of them were living ghosts in this world, she had tried to kill him back in the Lunatic Pandora. He had tried to kill her in Shumi. At least he had saved her that day from those other wired men.   
  
No matter how hard Quistis tried, she had never been able to save Seifer Almasy.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**------'-----,---------'-----,---**   
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:**   
Today is the 1 year anniversary of Seiftis Forever! Congradulations to all Seiftis writers who have joined the board and are reading this right now! Thanks for sticking with us!   
If you havent joined please come check it out!,   
  
Other then that I dont have much else to say, thanks as always to all of you reading! :)   



	9. Burst

  
  
  
  


** ------'-----,---**Chapter Nine**------'-----,---**   
**------'-----,--- **Burst**------'-----,---**

  
  
  
  
Deling City was a thriving metropolis now that it was the head of the United Council. The great ring shaped city had grown becoming almost as populated as Esthar had been, the last time anyone had been allowed there.   
  
Quistis stared out the window of her dorm room at the city below the Garden. It was unlikely that Esthar would send a representative to the United Council meeting this year. They didn't every other year, why would they now? Especially since a highly dangerous well known criminal that they were supposed to execute was on the loose. They were just supposed to waltz in and claim him? The idea was ludicrous! Quistis didn't understand why Xu was thinking they would find out about Seifer there.   
  
The garden was on stand by for landing permission; Glabadia garden was all ready there. Its red fins sticking wildly up in the air. Deling city spanned below them, its lights twinkling in the night air. The entire section of the street before the presidential building had been cleared away for an ongoing party that was always hosted during the Council meeting.   
  
Representatives from all over the world would be there, to discuss trade and the decline of the planet. Ever since the war things were quickly stepping into decimation, they promise of darker things to come on the horizon.   
  
A buzzing sound sounded over the loud speaker signaling the inhabitants of the Garden to prepare for landing. Quistis put a firm hand on the window sill and steadied herself as the thing crashed to the ground. With no apparent alarm she moved away from the window as the machine creaked and settled around the inhabitants. Quistis had been through it enough times to become used to the old hags bitching when she landed.   
  
Grabbing her purse the SeeD, now demoted, headed out of her room and into the cool crisp air of Deling. Inhaling deeply her heels struck the side walk with each confident stride as she moved towards the party at the presidential building. As always she was oblivious to the people around her, walking in one big group to the party.   
  
"This party is going to be so great!" one of the cadets said from near by.   
  
"I know! I can't wait till the ceremony is over and the real fun begins" a female answered in a high pitched voice. Unwillingly Quistis rolled her eyes.   
  
Every year there was always a ceremony for the five remaining SeeD that had saved the world. And as always there was a moment of silence for their great leader, Squall Lionheart. The oh so personable person he was, he would have loved that. She scoffed rolling her eyes. Quistis loathed the public display more then anything else. Outside she appeared calm and cool, a confident smile on her face. Inside she was a turmoil of screaming emotions.   
  
  
  
"I wonder if they'll find anything out about Almasy while we are here" one of the boys mused. Quistis could practically feel the eyes as the shifted her way.   
  
Seifer.   
  
Yes, there was always Seifer. Ever since he had jumped out the window a few days ago she couldn't get him out of her mind. He was plaguing her every thought and waking moment. She was worried for him, she was angry at him. The constant nagging of the unsolved puzzle behind his reappearance was nagging at her.   
  
"Oh! They've got the band set up all ready!" one of the cadets squealed pointing.   
  
The party was well under way when Quistis and the heard of students that had moved with her arrived from Balamb Garden.   
  
A stage had been set up in front of the great arch that was known as Deling City's most famous land mark. The portcullis was closed behind the stage, allowing no traffic to move into the closed off area. Tables were scattered about the street their white cloths rippling in the refreshing breeze.   
  
The mass of people milling about was made up of all types. The strong boned Trabians, the strange Shumi. Quistis thought painfully back to the incident at Shumi Village. She felt terribly responsible for Baker's death and the Shumi casting the rest of the archeologists out of the town.   
  
Her things had been sent to her, by hover craft just yesterday. Much to her surprise she was sad to find the blue eyed broken doll was not among them.   
  
But now here she was at one of the biggest events of the year, in a skimpy black dress, her mind infatuated with a supposed dead man.   
  
"Quistis you look great! Wanna dance?" Irvine drawled from beside her. She turned her cold blue eyes looking him up and down. He was in a pristine black tuxedo, looking absolutely ridiculous with the black cowboy hat perched on his head.   
  
"No thanks, Irv" she responded in the sweetest voice she could muster. He would probably expect a quickie in the bushes when they were done dancing anyway.   
  
Quistis sigh frustrated with herself and her cynical thoughts. For once she just needed to lighten up and let the higher ups inside deal with the important things. She needed a drink.   
  
Heading over to one of the long beverage tables her hopes were instantly dashed as she saw the display. Fruit punch. Fruit punch! What kind of party was this?   
  
She huffed away quickly leaving the area heading for the Hotel. Remembering the bar from her travels, she knew she could find a drink there. In desperate need of something, anything, to get her mind off that green pair of eyes burning in her mind.   
  
  
  
  
  
Exiting the hotel after two stiff drinks put her in the key time for the party. Quistis was half way to drunk and decided to stroll through the park before heading back for the honorary ceremony. The cobble stone path way was slightly damp from the rain the previous night. Puddles clung to the dips in the path, almost pleading for their life as Quistis avoided stepping in them.   
  
Suddenly she felt a strong hand on her arm, yanking her hard off the path. She fell in the slippery wet grass, mud instantly plastering its self to her bare leg. With terrified eyes she looked up into the face of an unknown man. With a yell she tried to wrench away from him, cursing the United Council for not allowing weapons at their gatherings.   
  
"Help!" she screamed out, terror lacing her voice. Panic clutched her as his fingers tightened around her neck cutting off her breathing.   
  
"No one will come for you" he whispered his lips dangerously close to her ear. She whimpered struggling. Then with a cry she slammed her had back into his nose.   
  
Managing to wrench from his grasp she hurled herself forward into the trees, praying to get away. Her heart was thumping in her chest, blood pumping in her ears. She lost one shoe, then another to the mud as she ran. He was behind her, she could hear his footsteps. Feel his hot rank breath on her neck.   
  
Pain exploded across the back of her head as he grabbed her hair yanking her to the ground. Crying out in pain, she hit the mud hard. Then the sky seemed to open up on Deling for the second night in a row.   
  
Rain pelted her skin like tiny shards of ice. Quistis Trepe was not one to give up, she would fight. She kicked at him hard, practically tearing her hair out as she tried to get out of his grasp. Then a glint of something metal in her peripheral vision. Something thin struck her neck puncturing her skin.   
  
A needle.   
  
The thought hit her like a blast of panic. It was too late for her to react. Whatever had been in that needle was all ready working its way into her blood stream. Her limbs grew heavy, her body slack. Her vision was dimming but she could steal feel everything happening to her.   
  
He was dragging her through the cold mud. It was caking her body, clinging to her pale skin. In the distance she could hear the sweet sound of a waltz. In the sky she saw a shooting star.   
  
Tears unwillingly sprang to her blue eyes.   
  
The ground was harder beneath her now, cement grinding into her. It was tearing at her bare legs and feet, spilling her blood on the pavement. The stench of a garbage filled alley way. Voices close by, discussing. Talking about what they were going to do to her.   
  
She opened her mouth to scream, no sound coming from the pale cracked lips. The scream was only a feeble noise, pathetic in din of the alley way. He dragged her over to the wall and situated her against it, her skirt ridding up to her hips. She knew he and his friends were admiring her tiny lace panties. Her heart beat even faster as one of them leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. Closing her eyes she willed her body to move against the drug running through her veins.   
  
He had been correct; no one would come for her.   
  
His hands were all over her, leaving trails of filth where ever they touched. Grabbing, groping, and twisting. He was going to take his time; she was completely at his mercy. Each one of them were going to have their turn with her, she knew it. Then she would probably die.   
  
She was dead all ready.   
  
Closing her eyes she felt herself floating away on a sea of darkness.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	10. Busted

  
  
  
  


** ------'-----,---**Chapter Ten**------'-----,---**   
**------'-----,--- **Busted**------'-----,---**

  
  
  
  
"And last but certainly not least, we commemorate Quistis Trepe" The representative from Deling City's voice was loud as it rang out over the crowd. There was a small sound feedback as a drop of rain hit the silver microphone. There was chaos as the rain started to pour down on the party.   
  
"Everyone inside!" Irvine shouted into the microphone much to the horror of the Deling City Rep. Irvine flashed him a smile and then hopped off the stage to help usher the ladies indoors.   
  
It didn't take long for the party to move inside, along with some of the tables and the supply of food and fruit punch. Of course Zell had risked his gravity defying do to rescue the platter of hot dogs, it being one of the first things to make it inside.   
  
Delegates were scattered all over talking loudly, the sound echoing off the walls. The microphone as being set up as the front of the room. Milling about people were trying to dry off in the large council room.   
  
"Can we continue with the announcements, ladies and gentlemen?" the Deling Rep said into the microphone, waiting for all of their attention. As the crowd turned to look at him as he smiled congenially.   
  
"It is time now, for all of us to lower our heads in tribute to one of the greatest commanders of all time. Now, let us have a moment of silence for the great Squall Lionheart" the Deling Representative said lowering his head in reverence. For a few seconds the hall remained silent.   
  
Then the double doors flew open, a shower of rain pouring over all of them. There in the doorway, none other then Seifer Almasy stood tall and proud. His strong form outlined by the dark door way. The whirlwind of rain and the sound of thunder were the perfect setting for such an entrance. Lying limp in his arms was Quistis.   
  
The blond woman's beaten form covered by his grey trench coat. Her legs dangled over his arm, her feet swinging limply with each stride he took. Eyes closed her head was resting against his chest.   
  
"The great Squall Lionheart? Oh you mean the dead Squall Lionheart" Seifer yelled as he sneered and chuckled shaking his head.   
  
"The one that died and left you all here to fend for yourselves" his voice was full of rage, filling the room with his demanding presence.   
  
"What the hell did you do to her!" Zell's voice boomed over the crowd, he rushed forward a blur of red and blue. Seifer turned his gaze to the martial artist his green eyes glittering dangerously.   
  
"I saved her" Seifer said his voice deadly.   
  
  
  
**

------'-----,---------'-----,---

**   
  
  
  
It was such a beautiful place. Darkness, its shadows embracing her gently like a lover. Its soft touch curling its fingers in her hair. Kissing her bruised broken lips softly. Quistis barely felt as her panties were torn away.   
  
A scream.   
  
The world came crashing down around her.   
  
Her eyes snapped open as a great weight was lifted from her body. There looking down at her was a set of familiar flaming green eyes. She longed to cry out to him, for her voice to work.   
  
Quistis watched in horrid fascination as Seifer beat the men with his bare hands. One of their heads slammed into the wall leaving a streak of gore. Another one met its blood demise at the side of a dumpster, the rusted metal piercing through his neck. Seifer grabbed a discarded brick from the ground and slammed it hard into the next man's head, a nauseating crack sounding through the alley.   
  
The original screamer lay just beside her, his neck sickly twisted.   
  
The last one was dealt with as easily as the others. Seifer tackling him to the ground then driving his fists over and over into the man's face over and over.   
  
Elation poured through Quistis as he stood. The light high above him on the wall spilling on his dark form. The grey trench coat hugging close to his rain soaked body, his hair plastered back away from his face. Hands held in front of him dripping with the blood of the dead men. He looked tall, statuesque, almost angelic.   
  
He turned his head slowly and looked at her, and animalistic rage dominating his eyes. She would have shuddered if she could, but her only response was more tears.   
  
Seifer leaned over one of the men and yanked the left arm of their shirt up. With a dark look on his face he released his Hyperion from its entrapment at his side. The with out a second thought her drug the blade along the other man's skin. Then with his bare hands he pulled it apart revealing the metal wires running along the bone.   
  
Quistis wanted to scream, to cry, to shout. Would these strange faceless men ever leave her alone?   
  
Seifer took his time whipping his hands free of blood on her assailant's clothes. Then at last he turned and looked down at her, the hunger gone from his eyes. Carefully he shrug out of his trench coat revealing his bare arms to the elements. She couldn't help but notice the dirty, bloody bandages still wrapped around his left arm. The memory of the wires bursting from his flesh haunted her.   
  
With gentle hands her leaned her forward slipping her arms into the coat. The smell of his clogged her sense even in the relentless rain. His warmth lingered in the fabric, adding to the haziness of the drug still pulsing through her.   
  
Their eyes met and he stared at her for a long time, before carefully tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. Then he lifted her from the ground into his strong arms. Her feet dangled uselessly as he carried her towards the noise of the party.   
  
"I couldn't let them hurt you" he whispered softly to her, the words the only explanation she would ever need from him.   
  
  
  
**

------'-----,---------'-----,---

**   
  
  
  
"I saved her" Seifer's voice rang through her skull. Everything was so dull and colorless. All she knew were the black depths of his coat and his arms around her.   
  
"Saved her from what!?" Zell shouted his voice of rage seeming pathetic next to Seifer's deadliness.   
  
"More metal wired men attacking her" Seifer responded moving past the blond man towards Rinoa on the makeshift stage. Rinoa looked down at him raising a single delicate eyebrow.   
  
"Heal her, Rin" Seifer said lying the woman at the feel of the sorceress. He took care to make sure the trench coat covered her at all times. There was no way he was letting these men gaze at her bare flesh. Seifer folded his arms and looked up at Rinoa expectantly.   
  
The brunette shrugged and with an uncaring look on her face she waved her hand. Healing magic dripped down from her fingers, covering Quistis in a blanket of light. For a few moments she didn't move, then she blinked carefully a few times.   
  
With a gasping breath she lurched up.   
  
Quistis' eyes immediately found Seifer, reaching out to touch his hand. Then her lips opened in a scream that had been dying to escape. Sobs tore from her throat as she turned from them all, burying her face in the cuffs of the coat.   
  
"You say it was more of the men that attacked her in Shumi?" Xu asked walking up as Selphie rushed forward to put a comforting arm around Quistis.   
  
"Yes" Seifer said his eyes looking past Xu to the distraught Quistis. He tried to move around Xu to get to Quistis, to try and help comfort her. The commander stepped in front of him blocking his path.   
  
"How do you know, are you sure?" Xu asked placing both of her hands on her hips. Seifer sneered down at her waiting a moment before answering the question.   
  
"You think I don't know my own kind?" he growled at last in response. His fists tensed in for a moment the wires writhing visibly under his skin. Xu eyes stayed on his muscular bare arms for a moment before snapping out her next question.   
  
"Where do these men come from?" she asked folding her arms.   
  
"Perhaps I can answer that better" a voice sounded from the back of the room. Three men stood in the open doorway one slightly ahead of the other two. The crowd turned to look at them all noise stopping in the hall. All eyes were on these three.   
  
The largest of them wore a thick black cloth around his eyes. He was a towering seven feet tall. Clothes fitting loosely over his muscular form he appeared unbothered by the chill of the rain. In one hand he leaned on a great black anchor, his only weapon in battle.   
  
The second man was tall and thin, his dark hair pulled back into a tight pony tail. His dark skin contrasted with the white flowing clothes he wore. Gracing his hands were two deadly blades. They glistened with the rain water clinging to them.   
  
The final man the one in front, who had spoke was the one in the lead. His blue eyes were sharp as he surveyed his surroundings. His brown hair pulled back, a smile gracing his useful face. Holding almost lovingly in his hands was a sleek black machine gun.   
  
Quistis stared at them in shock.   
  
May she had been wrong.   
  
It looked like Esthar had sent a Representative after all.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**------'-----,---------'-----,---**   
  
**Author's Notes:**   
I just really wanted to say thank you to some of more regular reviewers. It means a lot to me that you are still with me after the big break I took from this fic.   
  
  



	11. Crippled

  
  
  
  


** ------'-----,---**Chapter Eleven**------'-----,---**   
**------'-----,--- **Crippled**------'-----,---**

  
  
  
  
Laguna Loire. The infamous man with a machine gun. Squall's father and the president of Esthar. He tossed his pony tail over his shoulder and smiled up at the group on the stage, his hands never leaving the slim gun in his hand.   
  
Kiros Seagul. The dark man was the only known master of the Katals. The two long blades that attached to his hands messengers of death.   
  
Ward Zaback. Struck mute during the first sorceress war, the tallest of the three. The black cloth around his eyes could only mean one thing. Some how the large man had fallen blind.   
  
"President Laguna, what brings you here?" The Deling City Representative was the first to speak filling his room with the sound of his frightened voice.   
  
"I am not going back" Seifer ground out before Laguna could answer. The older man's eyes looked to Seifer and he slowly shook his head.   
  
"You're dangerous, Almasy. We have to take you back" Laguna said softly his eyes full of tenderness.   
  
"I'm not going back" Seifer answered shortly, repeating himself. He was like a statue, unmoving. His limbs locked into place, eyes hard.   
  
"Would someone please explain to me what the hell is going on?" Quistis exclaimed finally reaching her breaking point. There was too much that was unexplained, it was driving her crazy. She hopped off the stage and cross the room to glare at the three men.   
  
"Quistis how are you?" Laguna asked finally stepping further into the room, to stand right before Quistis.   
  
"Not good, Mr. Loire" she responded softly staring up at him.   
  
A sound of lightening thundered outside. The lights over head flickered, dimmed and then finally died leaving them all in darkness.   
  
"No" Seifer's panicked voice could be heard through the whole hall. A silent deadly whisper, a foretelling of things to come.   
  
Suddenly the windows crashed in, men rolling into the room. Lights mounted on their arms, the rest of their bodies clothed in black. Gun shots rang out across the room bursts of light randomly lighting up the room as the machine gun fired.   
  
"Thundaga" Rinoa's voice carried over the crowd, lightening arching across the ceiling to light the room in an eerie gold glow. She floated above the stage, her great white wings spreading from her back. Her eyes blank and expressionless. Brown hair flying wildly around her as the wet collar of her coat stuck to her face.   
  
Rain poured into the room, wind following it in bursts. Men and woman were screaming, dying. The men in black slicing them down with wicked looking daggers in their hands.   
  
"Everyone try and get outside" Ward yelled over the crowd as he hefted his anchor. The enormous black thing swung over the crowd, slamming into one of the black clothed men that was about the cut down the Dollet Representative.   
  
Seifer was running across the room oblivious to the rain and wind storming around him. One of the men sliced open his shoulder; he didn't stop till he was standing beside the unarmed Quistis. She looked at him with panicked eyes for a moment, closing the trench coat tight around her.   
  
He slowly drew his Hyperion, the metal hissing against the harness he kept it in. Shaking he handed it to her, and she stared at him like he was crazy. Quistis knew there was no way she could lift that thing.   
  
"Take it, trust me" he said quietly. Her hands quaking in the strange yellow light, she reached out and took the weapon. To her amazement it was light, as she swung it through the air.   
  
Seifer nodded and left her, the floor of the room slippery with rain and blood. The crowd was rushing through the double doors. The wired men were killing any of them they could get their hands on. Zell and Irvine were helping the people out, slamming the doors behind them.   
  
Quistis swung the Hyperion in a wide arch, bringing the blade down upon one of the men's heads. Brains and blood fell upon the floor in a sickening head, as his head collapsed from the weight.   
  
Seifer took position in front of one of the windows, a blur of black and blue as his fists and feet found heads and limbs. He grabbed one wired man by the arm and snapped the elbow, wires bursting from the skin. Sparks flew from the wires, bouncing across the floor. Seifer flung the man into the rain, his body erupting in electricity as rain fell upon the sparking wires.   
  
Kiros and Ward fought back to back. Ward's enormous anchor swung through the air, tearing a wired man in half. Its bodies erupted in a shower of gore and metal, a terrible cry escaped the dead mans lips. Kiros' katals scrapped to the floor with each terrifying attack, wired men falling before his feet.   
  
More and more wired men were coming through the windows, pressing everyone towards the middle of the room. Rinoa flying over them all, sending a rain of fire upon the men in black.   
  
"There's too many of them" Laguna shouted, reloading his gun.   
  
"We've got to get out of this room" Quistis said seeing the tactical disadvantage of being flanked. She turned and started to cut her a path through the men. Bloody bodies fell before her, the Hyperion quickly growing slick with blood. The others followed her, shoving and pushing there way through the men.   
  
Finally Quistis reached a window and pushed her way through it. The broken glass scraping across her bare legs, the rain pelting down around her. Running she heard the others behind her as she ran out onto the empty street the Gardens in the distance.   
  
"Get to Balamb" she heard Rinoa say from above her. Quistis nodded in response her feet pounding on the sidewalk as she ran. The Hyperion firmly in her hand, wired men ran down the street towards them all of them dressed in matching black.   
  
"Damn it" Quistis cursed taking a defensive position, readying the gunblade in her hands.   
  
"You can't fight them all" Rinoa said lifting her up by the underarms. With a powerful stroke of her wings they were flying above the mass of them, towards Balamb garden.   
  
"What about Seifer!" Quistis exclaimed squirming to look over her shoulder. Laguna was showering the front line of the wired men with rounds from his machine gun. Kiros pulled a slim gun from his pocket and fired it. A feathered dart shot from it and slammed into Seifer's neck. The former night cried out and then his eyes rolled into the back of his head before he slumped to the ground.   
  
"No!" Quistis screamed struggling against Rinoa's iron grip.   
  
Ward grabbed Seifer by the arm and drug him into a near by car. Laguna climbed into the driver's seat as the wired men closed in on them. Kiros killed a final wired man before jumping into the car.   
  
"Rinoa put me down!" Quistis said struggling again. Laguna slammed his foot down on the gas petal, the car speeding away into the night.   
  
"You'll die down there!" Rinoa yelled against the rain as the finally reached the quad, setting Quistis down on the blue tile.   
  
"How could we let them take him like that?" Quistis exclaimed rushing to the edge, leaning over the bar.   
  
"He'll be fine; we got to get the garden off the ground!" Rinoa said as her wings slowly retracted into her back.   
  
"Let's go" Quistis said as she saw the tail lights of the car disappearing in the distance.   
  
She followed Rinoa inside her mind still down on the ground with Seifer.   
  
Why had they done that? Suddenly Laguna shows up with a hoard of wired men on his tail, and wants to take Seifer away. What was the connection?   
  
The two women moved into the elevator and moved onto the bridge. Xu greeting them with worried words, a comforting hand on Quistis' shoulder. Quistis shivered and pulled the coat closer around her. Seifer's coat, Seifer's gunblade clenched in her hand.   
  
"Set a course for Balamb" Quistis heard Xu say through her haze. Nida nodded in response, leaning over the controls to type coordinates into the computer.   
  
"Laguna has Seifer" Rinoa said shortly with a soft sigh. Xu shook her head walking over to stand beside Quistis.   
  
"Why don't you go down to your room and clean up, Quistis" Xu said softly taking in her haggard appearance. Quistis nodded finally feeling the effects of the long night roll through her. She was exhausted.   
  
Walking through the garden she tried to ignore the looks that people were giving her as she moved. Her dorm room was cold and lonely as she walked in, moving over to the window.   
  
The city of Deling and its grim battle was shrinking beneath them. The rain battering hard on the window pane.   
  
All it took was a tranquilizer dart to the neck, no matter how strong those wires made him. The grim image of Ward dragging Seifer away lingered in her mind. He has seemed so strong, so unbreakable in the alley when he had saved her.   
  
Too many questions, not enough answers.   
  
Quistis placed her hand on the window and sighed. Carefully she placed the Hyperion leaning against the wall, her eyes tracing the metal. It was covered in drying blood all the way to the hilt.   
  
Another question struck her, how was she able to lift it?   
  
Quistis could remember trying to train Seifer back when she was an Instructor, she had never been able to lift his Hyperion. How could she forget the hours of relentless teasing from him because of it?   
  
How could Seifer have known she could lift it?   
  
_"You think I don't know my own kind?"_   
  
His voice echoed through her head, shattering her to the core.   
  
"No" she whispered quietly reaching out to grab the gunblade again. She brought the blade to her hands with teary eyes. A whimper fell from her lips as she sliced her own skin open. In a mess of core, her fingers slipping clumsily she pulled the skin apart.   
  
Quistis couldn't even scream as she stared at the wires that snaked up her bones.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**------'-----,---------'-----,---**   
  
**Author's Notes:**   
Sorry it took me so long to update this. Had a bit of a barrier I had to overcome before I did.   
Special thanks to Jacks, Carly, Sharp, Neha, and FH who listened to me when I needed them to. And for all the reassurance they gave me in my time of need.   
Thanks to all the rest of you as well for reading. I know my spacing might be a bit too spaced, but I think too much space is better then not enough.   
  
  



	12. Crushed

  
  
  
  


** ------'-----,---**Chapter Twelve**------'-----,---**   
**------'-----,--- **Crushed**------'-----,---**

  
  
  
  
_ "Don't move her too much"   
  
"Yes doctor"   
  
"Her blood pressure is normal, pulse accelerated"   
  
"Is the injection ready?"   
  
"Yes doctor"   
  
"Her body is going into spasms! Doctor!"   
  
"Its normal, it will pass as soon as the serum has fully entered her blood stream"   
  
"Yes doctor" _   
  
  
  
"Doctor! Doctor Kowdaski" Zell shouted carrying a limp Quistis in his arms as he ran down the hall way of Balamb Garden. He had stopped by her room to check on her, to make sure she had gotten to sleep. The terror that had filled him when he found her in a puddle of blood was indescribable.   
  
His feet pounded on the floor of the Garden with each stop. Her body was so cold, her arm torn and bloody. The wires that shone along her bone totally creeped him out.   
  
Zell pounded into the infirmary his cries immediately alerting the doctor to the danger. Dr Kowdaski shoved the bedding and boxes piled onto the operating table.   
  
"Put her here" She said rushed into the back room to gather supplies. Zell could hear the harsh snap of rubber gloves on skin. He placed on the metal table, wrapping his hands around her wound to stop the bleeding.   
  
"Stay with us Quistis" Zell whispered waiting for the doctor to come out of the back.   
  
  
  
_ "Quistis Trepe, formerly a teacher at Balamb Garden"   
  
"She is a good specimen; the metal is bonding to her bone structure as expected"   
  
"What about this man?"   
  
"Specimen 0241, Seifer Almasy, we found her with him they were both knocked out in the hut"   
  
"He's one of ours? How did the gas work on him?"   
  
"He was the first specimen that ever survived the process, the old way"   
  
"What do you mean the old way?"   
  
"We would submerge them in a glass tube, and they would breathe in the serum. It would take days and most of the time the Specimen died from the process. The whole thing seemed very painful to them, imagine the days spent in agony"   
  
"Why didn't he?"   
  
"Who knows, strong will I guess"   
  
"That's a real technical definition, Doctor"   
  
"I do my best" _   
  
  
  
"I'll do my best Zell, now you have to let go of her arm" Dr. Kowdaski said softly, practically prying Zell away from Quistis. His heart was thundering in his rib cage, he couldn't believe this was his childhood friend here on the table. All they had been through, Quistis had always been the voice of reason in them all.   
  
"She's one of those wired men" Zell said   
  
"Woman" Dr. Kowdaski said, as she prepared a syringe full of a clear liquid.   
  
"What's that?" Zell asked bouncing from foot to foot.   
  
"It will make sure she stays knocked out while I sew up her arm, its going to be painful" Dr. Kowdaski said softly as she placed the needle to Quistis skin. She felt along the skin manipulating the metal out of the way to slide the needle into the vein.   
  
Then the whole Garden shook around them, the whole building tipping. Both of them sliding across the floor, Quistis' limp body falling to the floor.   
  
"What the hell is going on!?" Zell shouted outraged, hopping to his feet. Instantly he had Quistis back on the operating table.   
  
"Attention all SeeDs, the Garden is under attack" Xu's voice clamored over the loud speaker. The Garden shook again, and a loud curse from Nida was heard over the PA system.   
  
Dr. Kowdaski lifted herself up, rushing over to Quistis. Quickly the doctor began to stitch the blond woman's arm, trying to maintain her balance as the garden righted itself in the air.   
  
"All trained SeeD's report to the quad immediately, it's the Lunatic Pandora" Xu's voice ended in a crackle as the PA system shut down. Zell looked up at Dr. Kowdaski with panicked eyes.   
  
"Go, I can handle it" Dr. Kowdaski said expertly threading another stitch through Quistis' skin.   
  
  
  
_ "Go on Riggs, I can handle this punk"   
  
"Sir, he is going to kill us both. We have to place them back in the hut before the gas wears off on her"   
  
"Dammit!"   
  
"Doctor! The tranquilizer gun, quick!"   
  
"Did you get him?"   
  
"Yes he's down, tend to the woman, I'll take care of him"   
  
"What was her trying to do?"   
  
"Save her" _   
  
  
  
"Xu!" Zell said running into the quad area, staring around at the mass of SeeDs. All their attention was directed to one thing and one thing alone. The looming monolith of the Lunatic Pandora that was dangerously close to the Garden.   
  
"Zell, where the hell is Quistis?" Xu asked loudly as he approached, weaving his way through the throng of people. He quickly filled her in, talking rushed and panicked. His arms gesturing wildly as he talked. She stood wide eyed, glancing at the Lunatic Pandora as it looked like it was coming in for another hit.   
  
"I thought we destroyed that thing at the end of the war" Zell shouted as Selphie and Irvine came running up. Irvine's gun barrel was smoking, and they both looked panicked.   
  
"Someone rebuilt it" Xu said in a dead voice.   
  
"There are men offloading at the front gate, Xu" Irvine said in a rush cutting into the conversation. Xu rolled her eyes skyward, glancing at the enormous black structure beside the garden before turning in a dead run out of the quad.   
  
"Half of you stay here, the other half with me to the front gate!" she shouted over the crowd, her brown flapping in front of her face. Zell nodded at Irvine and Selphie as they headed after Xu.   
  
The massive structure rammed into the garden again, sending a giant shudder through the building. Zell heard the sound of metal on metal, the grating noise loud over all the people around him.   
  
"Xu!" came Nida's panicked voice over the loud speaker. Zell flinched as he looked over the edge, watching the halo of the garden grind against the lunatic Pandora. Glowing metal tearing away, glistening pieces falling through the air.   
  
"We are going down, immediate evacuation for all persons is ordered" Nida's voice was a deadly calm, silence suddenly falling over the Garden. Then all there was, was chaos.   
  
"Why?" Zell asked staring up at the black building, before turning and rushing inside.   
  
  
  
_ "Why would he do that?"   
  
"He isn't grown in our lab like all the others, he was born"   
  
"You mean he's a normal human?"   
  
"Yes, he's been fighting our mind control for years"   
  
"What about her?"   
  
"We will have no control over her either, only the suggestions planted in her now"   
  
"Then why are we doing this?"   
  
"Its orders, Our Boss apparently likes to play peoples lives"   
  
"I don't understand"   
  
"Me either, I just do what I'm told"   
  
"And we are just going to put her back in Shumi, like nothing happened"   
  
"Yes"   
  
"The president is trying to shut us down now you know"   
  
"Of course, he got scared when we mastered the cloneing process"   
  
"Do you think he will ever accomplish it?"   
  
"No, our company practically owns Esthar and him"   
  
"What about Seed? Garden?"   
  
"It won't be long before they fall before us as well" _   
  
  
  
"We are falling!" it was a terrified scream of a young Cadet. Zell normally would have stopped to comfort her, to lend a helping hand. But only one thing was on his mind, Quistis and Dr. Kowdaski.   
  
The smell of blood and antiseptic was thick in the Infirmary as he rushed in. The Doctor had her arm totally stitched up and was wrapping it quickly, using medical tape to cover the thick black stitching.   
  
"We have to get out of here!" Zell said staring out the large glass windows at the Lunatic Pandora who was approaching at ramming speed again.   
  
"I'm aware of that Mr. Dinct, I'm not finished" Dr. Kowdaski said with perfect calm as the Garden was practically falling down around them. The whole building was rattling, the floor shaking beneath his feet.   
  
It was their home that was falling from the sky. The strongest of the Gardens, then infamous Balamb. The blue machine, plummeting to the earth. All the hopes and the dreams of the people in it came crashing down with it. Zell watched with horror through the glistening clean windows, as they closed in on dusky plains of Centra.   
  
"There's no time!" Zell shouted rushing forward to throw himself over Quistis as the Garden hit the ground.   
  
  
  
_ "There's no time, she's been half conscious through the whole procedure"   
  
"You mean she'll remember all of this?!"   
  
"Its possible that she will remember some of it when she discovers what has happened to her body"   
  
"I knew this was too risky! I knew it"   
  
"We have to finish the procedure, now get over here and help me!"   
  
"Yes doctor"   
  
"When we are finished she will be Specimen 2371, Quistis Trepe" _   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**------'-----,---------'-----,---**   
  
**Author's Notes:**   
Nothing to say other then I am happy you are all still with me. The next update will come sooner, I promise.   
  
Thank you everyone for being so supportive. 


	13. Smashed

  
  
  
  


** ------'-----,---**Chapter Thirteen**------'-----,---**   
**------'-----,--- **Smashed**------'-----,---**

  
  
  
  
"Balamb Garden is down. I repeat Balamb Garden is down, need immediate pick up of all cadet and SeeD. Have medical staff on hand, approximately 100 men down" Xu's voice cut through the chilly night air, followed by the crackling of a radio signal. The metal box was broken a large dent in the side. The black plate had been removed, and some of the wires were hanging out where she had painstakingly spliced them back together.   
  
She prayed to Hyne her frantic messages were getting through to Galbadia. Her eyes gazed out across the plains, taking in the sight of row after row of injured SeeD. All of them laid on the ground, crisp white sheets wrapped around them to try and keep the frigid breeze at bay.   
  
Doctor Kowdaski and any other SeeD with medical training were weaving through the lines administering care where they could. Healing magic and potions were running dangerously low. The crashed Garden behind her, crawling with more SeeD, all of them were trying to fix the broken halo.   
  
Xu turned her attention back to the radio again, holding down the button to send her voice across the airwaves. Only moments later gunfire rang out across the plain. The commander of the fallen Garden turned, looking over the lines of wounded. A sense of dread filled her to the core as she saw the black monolith of the Lunatic Pandora on the horizon.   
  
"All SeeDs battle formation! Protect the wounded!" Xu said dropping the radio receiver as she pulled her pistol.   
  
  
  
  
  
What the hell is going on? It was the first thought that registered through Quistis' head as she started to wake up. The sound of gunfire and yells were prominent in the air. Blinking back the sleep in her eyes she tried to take in the scene happening around her. Shrugging out of the white sheet covering her she stood.   
  
An enormous battle was taking place under the Lunatic Pandora. Wired men attacking SeeD, and the SeeD were losing.   
  
"That dream" Quistis said suddenly remembering the dream of two men talking. No, it wasn't a dream it was a memory. She had no time to think about it now, everyone was in danger. It was against her nature not to try and help, but she was weaponless.   
  
Searching around frantically Quistis' eyes landed on something gleaming in the dust. It seemed unreal to see it laying there, her vision taking in every detail. The black pistol grip, swooping gracefully up into the gleaming chamber. The barrel of the revolver extending into the sleek black blade of the sword. The edge still razor sharp, and as deadly as the first day she had seen it.   
  
Hyperion, Seifer Almasy's weapon of choice.   
  
Of course she knew how to use it. It had been in her instructors training, she had been the one to teach Seifer to use it in the first place. With out another thought Quistis swooped forward and lifted it off the ground into her hands.   
  
It was moments before Quistis had thrown herself into the battle. The black blade calling for death in front of her, man after man falling to her wide strokes. One man grasped her arm trying to bring her to a stop, in a slash of blood and gore he was dead at her feet.   
  
She moved onto the next, beheading him his blank eyes staring at her as he slumped to the ground. Zell was near by using his fist and feet to bring down any man daring to come near enough. The sound of Xu's pistol cracked through the night air.   
  
"The Pandora is retreating!" a male voice shouted as the building above them began to shudder and move. Its blackness blotted out the stars in the night sky, its machinery silent. A loud noise was heard from behind the group of SeeD as the killed off the remaining wired men. The giant hatch under the Pandora closing to block their retreat.   
  
Quistis turned and looked behind them, the sight of Galbadia Garden moving towards them a welcome one. It's red body hulking against the sky like a giant fire angel.   
  
"Wonder why they left all their troops behind to die" Zell said coming to stand beside her, folding his arms across his chest.   
  
"These troops don't matter, they can always grow more" Quistis said with a sneer as she wiped the Hyperion clean on one of the corpses.   
  
  
  
  
  
Quistis hardly had time to breathe before she was ushered into Galbadia's cockpit area. It was a state of chaos and mayhem a very young cadet at the helm. The headmaster in his pajamas and their commander a very young man.   
  
"It seems we arrived just in time," the young man said plastering a cocky grin across his face. He strode across the room to stand in front of Xu, Zell, Quistis, Rinoa and the group of cadets behind them. They had left Irvine and Selphie on the ground helping the wounded into the Garden.   
  
"I'm Xu, you must be Lachlan" The commander of Balamb spoke up her eyes raking over him.   
  
"Yes ma'am, I am the one that took over for Martine after the war" Lachlan said nodding curtly. Quistis disliked him instantly, the arrogance practically rolled off of him in waves.   
  
"Pleased to meet you at last" Xu said not even bothering to smile.   
  
"Those men were giving you a run for you money it looks like, I'm sure Galbadian SeeDs could have taken them out for you" Lachlan said with an arrogant grin.   
  
"You obviously have no idea what is going on," Xu said flatly as she crossed her arms.   
  
"Of course I do, those were the men that were at the Untied Council meeting" he responded with a grin.   
  
"Someone give this man a gold star," Quistis said rolling her eyes.   
  
"The wounded are all on board, Xu" Irvine's voice crackled over the hand held communications device they had been given when they came on board.   
  
"Thanks Irvine, you and Selphie help the doctors in any way you ---" Xu's voice was suddenly cut off by Irvine's screaming through.   
  
"Xu it looks like the Pandora is commin' around again" Irvine said frantically, the sound of boot heels ringing on metal.   
  
"Get Nida up here ASAP, they've got some 12 year old flying this thing" Xu shouted into the Com as she ran over to the windows peering into the glass. Quistis was shortly behind her peering out into the night, the enemy structure only visible by its inky mark in the sky.   
  
Nida reached the deck, pausing only a moment before saluting to Lachlan. The boy at the helm barely had time to protest as Nida pushed him out of the way.   
  
"What do you think you are doing, you can't just come in here and take over like this!" Lachlan explained as Nida expertly took over the handling of the Garden.   
  
"We have to get to the water, the Lunatic Pandora can't lower itself under the wave line. It won't be able to break the halo there" Nida said a Xu stepped up beside him.   
  
"Good, get us there Nida" Xu said flashing him a smile for his brilliance.   
  
"I will not be known as the man that crashed two Gardens" Nida said gritting his teeth. His gaze concentrated on the land in front of him, and the ocean that wasn't far off.   
  
"No, you'll only be known as the man that crashed one! Now give the helm back to my man!" Lachlan spoke up. They all ignored him, peering out the windows at the approaching Lunatic Pandora.   
  
"This is the best Garden outfitted for war, we will not run, we will not surrender!" Lachlan shouted his voice echoing off the walls. He stamped his foot, his hands fisting at his sides.   
  
"Look!" Quistis shouted turning away from the window. She strode across the room to stand in front of him, glaring up into his grey eyes. The Red Garden still moved steadily towards the ocean.   
  
"I don't know when Cid and Edea decided to put Cadets in charge of Galbadia, but get this straight you aren't anymore. We are taking over now, so why don't you just go down and take a nap" Quistis said gritting her teeth together. She was tired, she was worn, and the past week was really making no sense to her at all.   
  
"Mr. and Mrs.' Kramer will be hearing about this" Lachlan hissed before turning on his heel and storming off the bridge.   
  
"We've reached the water" Nida spoke up as the halo mechanism emerged.   
  
"They aren't following" Xu said with a sigh of relief as she stepped away from the window. She looked over and Quistis and gave her almost a pleased smile.   
  
"Let's have a meeting tomorrow morning," Quistis said with a halfhearted smile back. Xu nodded seeing the exhausted looks in everyone's faces around her. Xu turned towards the Cadets gathered by the door.   
  
"Jill, Finoa, and Paul please take SeeD Trepe to one of the guest rooms and watch her door for the night, we don't want her disturbed" Xu said.   
  
"Yes ma'am" one of the blond girls answered.   
  
"SeeD Trepe?" Quistis asked raising an eyebrow, "Does this mean I'm not a Cadet anymore?"   
  
"You never really were" Xu said with a grin before sending Quistis on her way.   
  
  
  


**------'-----,---------'-----,---**

  
  
  
  
The meeting room of Galbadia mirrored the one that was in Balamb. It was strange to be in a room that was so familiar but to know that it was in a completely different building.   
  
Quistis felt relaxed and more at ease after a long sleep, and a shower. The fresh SeeD uniform that she was wearing was a welcome change as well. Even though she knew they were on the brink of a war of some kind Quistis couldn't stop the small smile from spreading across her face.   
  
Xu stood at the head of the table, the windows behind her revealing an expanse of glistening blue ocean. They sky was a shade paler, dotted with fluffy clouds.   
  
"We need to find out who is controlling those men, and what the Lunatic Pandora has to do with it" Xu said placing her hands on the table.   
  
"I might have remembered something," Quistis said telling them all about hearing the voices while she had been knocked out, remembering what they were saying.   
  
"Something must have happened to you in Shumi, that's the only place you've been outside the Garden" Xu said thoughtful looking a spot on the wall.   
  
"Esthar was the one funding the archeological dig in Esthar" Rinoa said softly, looking down at her hands folded in her lap.   
  
"Laguna obviously knows something he isn't telling us" Irvine spoke up from the place he was lounging at.   
  
"To take down the Lunatic Pandora we will need to utilize the full force of Galbadia Garden" Quistis said looking across the table at Xu.   
  
"Only one man knows this Garden that well," Xu said staring back at her.   
  
"Seifer Almasy" Quistis breathed. Xu pulled the Com from her belt and lifted her to her lips.   
  
"Nida, set a course for Esthar. Its time we got some answers" Xu said.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**------'-----,---------'-----,---**   
  
**Author's Notes:**   
I feel kind of bleah about this chapter. I still hope you all liked it though. Should be good stuff next chapter ;) 


	14. Slivered

  
  
  
  


** ------'-----,---**Chapter Fourteen**------'-----,---**   
**------'-----,--- **Slivered**------'-----,---**

  
  
  
  
"Laguna Loire" Quistis said pausing for a moment. The secretary stared up at her blankly with a dull set of brown eyes. It was obvious the woman hardly ever dealt with people, the way her gum snapped was simply obnoxious.   
  
"The President, we are SeeD from Balamb garden and we want to see him. Now." Quistis said putting as much emphasis on the word now as she possibly could. The secretary stood up and rolled her eyes with a mighty sigh.   
  
"There is no way you can be from Balamb, Hellooooo, Esthar has been closed for years" The secretary said sarcastically, placing a hand on her hip. Without another word Xu threw down a thick piece of metal bristling with wires and conductors.   
  
"You might recognize this. It's a piece of your shield wall we just blasted through with the weapons on Galbadia Garden. Now, the President?" Xu explained calmly, the corner of her mouth twitching up into a grin. Quistis shook her head a bit remembering how Xu had ruthlessly told Nida to ram the shield wall and how the headmaster of Galbadia had responded. It had been simple to burst the wall to pieces with the big red garden, since the war it had been triple reinforced. The Garden most suited for war.   
  
The secretary glared at the piece of the shield wall, like it was a dog about to bite her. Taking a few steps back she knocked lightly on the door behind her, which was opened moments later by a scrawny looking man.   
  
"Ned, tell the President he has visitors" the secretary said to the man. Ned looks up at Xu and Quistis standing there for only a moment before turning and running down the hallway.   
  


  
  
**------'-----,---------'-----,---**   
  


  
  
"Quistis, Xu" Laguna said as they strode into his office giving them both a warm smile. He stopped short grimacing a bit as they glared at him, and Xu put her hand on her hip.   
  
"I think you owe us an explanation, President Loire" Xu said. Laguna laughed feebly and scratched the back of his neck looking at the floor. There was nothing more but tension and silence in the room for a few moments longer.   
  
"Where is Seifer?" Quistis demanded. Laguna looked up slowly, revealing the sadness in his eyes.   
  
"He isn't well, Quistis..." Laguna said his voice trailing off. The President turned and walked across the room looking out the tall glass windows. The once strong and proud solider was now weighted down with the pains of guilt, and it was visible in every line of his posture.   
  
"What did you do to him.. to us!" Quistis exclaimed angrily battling within herself to keep her calm. She wanted nothing more then to leap across the room and strangle the dark haired man.   
  
"He killed my son!" Laguna roared spinning around in a few strides he crossed the room to stand in front her. Blue eyes met blue, the tension crackling between them.   
  
"That does not justify your actions" Quistis said her voice holding a quite deadly edge. Sagging visibly Laguna took a step back.   
  
"You're right" He admitted hanging is head, "He was wired long before he killed Squall"   
  
"When did you do this to me?" Quistis asked through gritted teeth, flexing her forearm feeling the wires slide along her nerves.   
  
"It wasn't me! It's not me anymore... its..." Laguna took a deep breath, "Ricker Deling"   
  
"Vinzer Deling's son?" Quistis asked softly in a whisper, delicately raising an eyebrow.   
  
"Laguna, the full story, please" Xu broke in, with a confused look on her face. The commander sighed softly, sitting down in one of the large chairs. Being an iron hard bitch all the time was really starting to get to the dark haired girl.   
  
"You see during the war, Esthar worked with Galbadia after Vinzer's demise to find a way to augment our solders. Make them faster, and stronger. That way sorceress' wouldn't be a problem anymore" Laguna said softly, gazing out one of the large glass windows at his bright glass city.   
  
"Ricker Deling was one of the top scientists on the project; he worked many long hours beside Dr. Odine in their lab in Shumi. Eventually they found a way to work metal wiring through out the entire body of a person, but the procedure was long and painful" The man spoke softly.   
  
"Right after the Lunatic Pandora, right before Time Compression we captured Seifer. He was their first test subject that survived the procedure, but it left more then just scars on his body. It wounded his mind as well, somehow he had been coherent through the whole procedure" Laguna paused, lowering his eyes to the ground. It was a few silent moments before he spoke again.   
  
"During Time Compression we lost him, only to find him again wandering the desert babbling like a mad man. He was covered in blood, in his fist clenched the necklace my son used to wear" The president stopped once again as his throat tightened, "I wanted to kill him right then and there, but it was Ricker who convinced me not to. Instead I closed Esthar to the world, retreating here"   
  
"Ricker and Odine made discoveries in leaps and bounds after the war; eventually they discovered how to grow living tissue. Grow it like a plant in these huge specimen tubes, they were growing people. I was so angered and appalled when they showed me their perfect army; no one should mess with the human make up like that. I pulled Esthar's funding immediately and told Dr. Odine to return to the city" He continued explaining his voice finding a hard edge.   
  
"So he returned bringing Seifer with him, the former sorceress Knight who was now more then a vegetable in a test tube" Laguna stopped and shook his head with a sigh.   
  
"Ricker got into Esthar, killed Dr. Odine, and kidnapped Seifer. I discovered it all moments to late, as soon as I discovered that Miss Trepe was in Shumi I knew they would try to kill her or make them one of their own. And they did, didn't they?" Laguna asked finally turning to look at Quistis when he asked the question.   
  
"Yes" Quistis answered curtly, clenching her fist.   
  
"How did Ricker get to you, I can't imagine it was easy" Laguna asked raising an eyebrow.   
  
"There was a doll, I guess it must have been placed in the ruins for me to find. When it broke some kind of green gas came out and knocked me out. But what I don't understand is that Seifer was there, and he was very intent on killing me" Quistis responded remembering their scuffle in the small hut in Shumi.   
  
"In his trek from Esthar to Shumi, Ricker was Seifer was taken from him" Laguna answered softly.   
  
"So there is a third player in all this?" Xu asked raising an eyebrow.   
  
"Indeed, and I only have a very small idea of who it may be" Laguna said with another sigh. He buried his head in his hands for a few moments, not sure where to start talking again.   
  
"Ricker had a daughter; she was very young only about ten. Those archeologists in Shumi were digging up an ancient ruin, a Sorceress' castle. Ricker somehow found a way to harness the power of a sorceress from the bones found within. That power he implanted into his daughter" Laguna said. Stunned silence filled the room. A ten year old sorceress.   
  
"But why would she take Seifer and send him to kill me?" Quistis asked.   
  
"I don't know, my only guess is that she is crazy with power and resents her father. So she wanted to stop whatever he was doing at all costs. I'm sorry Quistis but I don't know why he wanted you, other then perhaps for revenge" Laguna answered her softly, finally coming to his chair to sit. He gazed at the two women, looking very tired and very old.   
  
"Do you have any idea where Ricker or his daughter are now?" Xu was the first to speak up, hesitantly breaking the silence.   
  
"No, we have a few leads.. but nothing substantial" Laguna said looking over to the dark haired woman. The commander of the fallen Balamb Garden only nodded in response, gazing out the window.   
  
"Seifer. I want to see him" Quistis said firmly standing up.   
  
"I don't think that's such a good idea" Laguna responded his voice trailing off as she gave him a rock hard glare. He reached over and pressed a button on the intercom.   
  
"Ned, will you take Miss Trepe down to see Mr. Almasy" Laguna spoke into it, his voice ragged and tired.   
  
"Tomorrow then, we will reconvene Mr. Loire. We need to plan our next course of action" Xu said standing up, running her hands over her skirt to smooth out the wrinkles.   
  
"Yes, of course" Laguna said with a sad smile, as she turned and strode from the room. A moment later Ned came in to lead Quistis away and the president was left alone to weep.   
  


  
  
**------'-----,---------'-----,---**   
  


  
  
Ned slowly opened the metal door revealing a long hallway. Metal floors, metal walls except for one side that was glass with tiny holes in three rows along the bottom.   
  
"He's the only one in there, can't miss him" Ned said closing the door behind him. Quistis looked around the sterile hallway, breathing in the sent of cleanliness. Slowly she started to move down it, her boot heels making tiny clanking noises on the floor. Passing cell after cell she stopped to gaze into each one all of them looking the same. A simple bed, a toilet with some plain toiletries, a sink mounted to the wall, and a simple shelf to hold whatever personal items the prisoner might have.   
  
It sparked a deep anger to know that Seifer was locked up here like a common criminal. A secret prison deep within the presidential palace. Quisits was fuming by the time she reached the last cell, stopping to gaze through the glass, to look at him.   
  
Seifer sat against the wall, the only thing in this cell that had been cleared away. His knees pulled up to his chest, his head resting on his arms. Curled into a little ball there, leaning against the wall. He looked so fragile and broken, she simple wanted to take him away for ever. It was not right to lock up a man with such a free sprit; it was like caging the most wild of lions.   
  
"Seifer" Quistis whispered softly, at the sound of her voice his head snapped up. He rushed forward, pressing his hands against the glass. Tired bloodshot green eyes looked her up and down, no longer containing any of the spark they once held. His clothes gone, plain white garments hanging limply off his strong body.   
  
"Quistis" he said so softly his voice barely reached her through the glass.   
  
"Yes, I'm here Seifer" she responded back, placing one of her hands against the glass matching his.   
  
"You have to get me out of here..." he pleaded with a broken whisper. Her breath hitched in the back of her throat, tears coming unbidden to her eyes.   
  
"I'm trying" she stammered out, trying not to sob. Normally she was a strong woman, but the past week was almost too much for her. Seifer searched her eyes, before slowly sinking to the ground. He looked so absent of life, she couldn't stand it. Dropping to her knees she sat beside him, only the layer of glass separating them.   
  
"I'm sorry, Qusitis. I know you loved Squall..." Seifer said suddenly, his fingers going to the openings in the glass. Reaching out to brush against hers. His skin rough, the calluses not gone from his years holding a gunblade.   
  
"I'm sorry... For.. everything.." he whispered. She simply stared at him, unable to voice the emotions churning inside of her. All she could do was keep her fingers to the glass, touching his.   
  
"I just wanted to be someone who mattered to.. you... to everyone" he said so quietly, leaning his head against the glass. His body suddenly racked by sobs, the sound of his anguish tearing from his throat.   
  
"Oh Seifer" she said huskily, it killed her to see him like this. It reminded her of when they were children, whenever one of them got hurt they would always cry. But never Seifer, he always stuck his chin out and bore the pain like a badge of pride. Even on the night when he came to the orphanage, when his parents has just been murdered he didn't cry. It was a new sensation to Quistis, and all she wanted to do was to help him.   
  
"It won't let me go Quistis, the pain won't let me go. You have to help me, no one else will. No one can understand till they have wires" his voice was torn almost breaking at each word, his sobs hard and aching. She couldn't handle it anymore, rising to her feet she ran down the hallway slamming the door open. Ned stood there looking shocked, and he took a quick step back seeing the fury on her face.   
  
"Let me in with him" Quistis said stonily. Ned shook his head wildly taking another step back; the assistant to the president knew that she meant business.   
  
"President Loire said that no one goes in that cell" Ned said. Quistis sighed and rolled her eyes.   
  
"Fine Ned, I won't get you in trouble" she said. Quistis started to turn around, but then suddenly spun slamming her fist into his chin. He reeled back, not even having enough time to register shock. Ned slumped to the floor, his keys jangling loudly at his waist. Yanking them off, she turned and ran back down the hallway. Frantically she found the glass door of Seifer's cell and opened it, leaving the keys hanging in the lock.   
  
"Seifer" she said rushing into the cell. He stopped sobbing and looked up at her, slowly rising to her feet. She gazed up at him, remembering suddenly how tall he was. How imposing his form was, how strong he had always been.   
  
Wordlessly he moved forward and pulled her into his arms, holding her close and tight. Quistis could feel the wires moving beneath his skin, but she could also hear his heart beating. This was real, he was real and so was she. They were not grown in a test tube, simply puppets in a game.   
  
But they had been tossed aside, broken. She stepped back and gazed up into his eyes, seeing the confusion there.   
  
A silent vow was made between them then.   
  
No longer would they be puppets to anyone.   
  
No longer would they be nothing but Broken Dolls.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**------'-----,---------'-----,---**   
  
**Author's Notes:**   
Omfg. What's this you say? An update. Why yes, that is what it looks like. Even I am a little suprised actually. I've been very busy with just life over the past six months. My boyfriend of four years broke up with me at the end of June, so of course I had no insperation to write anything romantic. Then I moved to a new house, which was increadbly stressful. During the move I fell and twisted my angle, spraining really bad. So I was laid up for awhile. Now finally I have found some peace and I hope that I can get back to working on this at a more regular pace. On December 16th I am going to England and I hope I can update at least once more before I leave for the holidays, so I'll be trying ;).   
  
Wanted to say thanks to some people who have urged me on to write, and whose reviews have ment very much to me over the past few hard months. Rose, who leaves anon reviews but has left me some really great ones, sorry for keeping you waiting for so long. Yori Kiri, finalfantasygrrl, Black Wolf Meleny, and Sheylan all deserve mentions for keeping my spirts up. Also a big thanks to Sickness in Salvation who was the 100th person to add me to their favorite authors list. You've all helped me reach a goal I've been working towards for almost two years. 


	15. Mangled

  
  
  
  


** ------'-----,---**Chapter Fifteen**------'-----,---**   
**------'-----,--- **Mangled**------'-----,---**

  
  
  
  
Baysla Deling clutched her doll close looking out the window at the ocean, its blue glittering in the afternoon sun. Behind her the hull of the ship spanned on and on, bright sun flowing in through the bright windows.   
  
"Miss Deling?" a voice came from behind her. The ten year old girl turned and looked clutching her doll close to her chest. It was a beautiful doll with long blond hair and a deep green satin dress. The small girl loved it more then life itself, thinking of it as the only companion that had never left her.   
  
A solider stood there, the one who had said her name. He was dressed in a white uniform, his posture very rigid. Baysla smiled up at him, walking a few feet towards him.   
  
"Did you need something, solider?" she asked.   
  
"The bodies on the deck, ma'am. What did you want us to do with them?" The man asked fidgeting with the end of his white uniform. Baysla looked up at him, realizing this was one of the men who had shot at her when she had first boarded the ship.   
  
Surprised at all to find them hostile, Baysla had killed one of them with her sorceress powers without meaning too. After that combined with a little mind control all of the White SeeD had fallen right in line.   
  
"Throw her in the ocean; she will do me no more good. As well as your fallen companion" Baysla answered sadly. The SeeD nodded and started for the stairs up to the deck.   
  
"After that is finished, set a course for Esthar" Baysla said before he could reach the top of the stairs.   
  
"Yes ma'am" the man said as he left the hull area. The small girl turned back to the window looking out at the ocean. She wasn't going to go up and watch them throw away the bodies; it would only make her feel sadder. When her daddy had taken her to Shumi she had thought it would be fun to get to dig in the dirt. Then he had found the body of the sorceress.   
  
Her daddy had seemed excited, saying something about expecting to find only bones. It was that night Baysla's life had changed forever. She awoke to find herself attached to machinery and tubes, the body of the sorceress lying on the table across from her. It was daddy who did it, who gave her the powers of the sorceress.   
  
She hated him for it, and even though she might have been too small to comprehend it, all she knew was that she wanted revenge for what she had done.   
  
"That's right, to Esthar" she said softly to her doll as she petted its blond hair, "And Then we are going to go up into space, to Daddy, to kill Daddy"   
  


  
  
**------'-----,---------'-----,---**   
  


  
  
The bed had seemed so soft when she lay down. The huge pillows, the thick comforter, all of it wrapping around her. Unfortunately it all shattered like a dropped mirror when she was awoken by her name being called over the intercom. The familiar voice of Xu drummed in her ears, demanding she come to the president's office immediately.   
  
Quistis groaned out loud and pushed herself out of bed, rubbing her hands over her face. Suddenly aware of someone else's presence in her guest room at the presidential place, she spun around.   
  
Seifer stood there, wearing only a lose pair of black pants. In his hands was a paper bag, and he was staring down into it. A look of bewilderment was on his face, as his green eyes looked up to her.   
  
"What is it?" Quistis asked frowning. Last thing she could remember about last night was walking Seifer up to her room and him falling asleep cold on the couch in the sitting area. He had still been wearing the hospitial-esque gown they had him in while he had been locked up. Silently Seifer put the bag down and pulled out the ever familiar grey trench coat. It hung loosely in his hands the fire crosses blazing down the sleeves.   
  
"It seems strange to have it again" Seifer said softly as he pulled a black T-shirt out of the back and slipped it on over his head. The coat came on next, it flowing around his form.   
  
"It still fits" Quistis said trying to feel the silence. That was one thing she had always hated, uncomfortable silences. It has happened often back in the days when she had trained Seifer, sometimes she thought he had did it on purpose. The old Seifer always did things like that.   
  
"Now all I need is my Hyperion and I'll be ready to create some havoc" he said looking at her a flash of his old grin crossing his face. Quistis paused and turned from him heading over to the closet. With a deep breath she pushed it open finding his Hyperion there, at least the servants in Esthar always did things the same.   
  
Carefully she lifted the Gunblade, remembering the last time she had used it. When Balamb Garden had fallen, when the Lunatic Pandora had been on the move again.   
  
"Where did you.." Seifer asked softly as he took to from her hands. He was shaking as he held it out extended from his body in his normal battle stance. His haunted green eyes stared at the blade, when suddenly he dropped it. The gunblade fell to the floor noisily, and he stepped back from it.   
  
"Seifer" Quistis said softly reaching out and putting her hand on his arm. His gaze turned to her, some kind of memory haunting him. Without words he reached out for her and pulled her close, pressing her small form against his.   
  
"Quistis" he whispered one of his hands stroking softly along her blond locks. A loud knock interrupted the touching moment, the door bursting open almost immediately. Xu strode in a frown plastered across her face, her brown hair bouncing with each step.   
  
"Oh" Xu said as she stopped suddenly, Seifer pulling away from Quistis. Quistis shrugged and turned to look at her.   
  
"I was on my way Xu, have a little patience" Quistis said. Xu opened her moth to protest but Seifer pushing past her and out the door made her stop.   
  
"Ah the power of Mister Almasy, able to make anyone speechless even you Xu" Quistis said with a soft laugh as she followed the blond man out into the hallway. He was heading for the presidents office and she was more then happy to let him lead the way. She could hear Xu following behind him them, so didn't bother to turn and look.   
  
Seifer kicked the door open, and led the way in grinning like a damn fool.   
  
"What a pleasure to see all of you again" he said in an arrogant tone. Standing there tall and proud, Hyperion at his side he was the essence of Seifer. It was all Quistis had come to hate as an Instructor, but now she felt closer to him then ever. They were kindred spirits now, both bound to ties they did not want.   
  
"Miss Trepe, I had expected better from you. Mr. Almasy is unstable, he shouldn't be out amongst civilians" Laguna said. He was the only person in the windowed room, his dark eyes were flashing with anger.   
  
"I think we are finished with you controlling our lives Laguna" Quistis said coolly.   
  
"I should kill you for even being involved, Loire" Seifer growled his hand visibly tightening on the hilt of his Hyperion.   
  
"Seifer" Xu said in a warning tone as she strode into the office. She came to a stop beside Laguna turning to look at them both.   
  
"We don't have time for this!" she snapped, obviously frustrated as events kept spinning more out of control.   
  
"The space station was attacked this morning, by a young girl and a group of white SeeD. She taken a pod and launched with out a problem. On the security cams it is obvious that she is using some kind of mind control. It can only be Ricker's little girl, why she wanted to go into space I can't guess" Laguna said wasting no time in lying the situation out.   
  
"I can" Seifer said lifting a blond eyebrow. Laguna gave him a hated glare waiting for him to explain more.   
  
"The Lunatic Pandora, it has space pods as well you know. Ricker probably shot himself into space" Seifer said with a casual shrug. Laguna blinked his eyes at the obvious answer, and Xu only shook her head.   
  
"You two are going into space, I don't know what the Deling family is doing up there but it's not good. Someone needs to stop it" Xu said with an exasperated sigh. Seifer raised an eyebrow, looking over to her.   
  
"You don't command me anymore, remember I'm not a SeeD" Seifer barked, green eyes glaring at her.   
  
"Seifer" Quistis said softly. He turned and looked at her, his eyes softening as he met her.   
  
"I need you with me" the words fell from her mouth before she realized what she was saying. Seifer only nodded in silent agreement.   
  
"Let's go then" Seifer said quietly.   
  


  
  
**------'-----,---------'-----,---**   
  


  
  
The stars were bright and glittering through the space station walls. It hadn't taken long to be launched into space, their destination this place, where Ricker Deling and Dr. Odine had started growing their field of cloned humans. It was here that Seifer had been infused with the wires, were he had spent hours trapped in a tube his body wracked with pain. It was the only logical place Ricker would come, whatever he was planning for his army they couldn't let him succeed. Balamb Garden had all ready fallen; the world was at great risk once again.   
  
And here Quistis was to try and stop it again, but this time Seifer fought beside her instead of against her. He had been nervous at first about being shot out into space in a pod, but had went along with it in the end. It was that or Quistis was going up alone, the chivalrous side of him would never allow that.   
  
Quistis turned from the window to look at him, crossing her arms over her chest. Seifer was still getting out of his space suit a few feet behind her. He was cursing at it, and Quistis couldn't help but giggle softly.   
  
"What's so funny?" he asked looked up at her, still half in the suit. She giggled again and walked over to him, standing just in front of him. Reaching around she pressed a button on the back of the suit, a loud hiss echoed through the room. The suit went limp and fell off of him to the floor with a loud thump. He snickered and stepped out of it, grinning at her. It was then Quistis realized how close they were.   
  
"Thank you Seifer, for coming up here with me" Quistis said shifting uncomfortably. Seifer grinned at her, and touched her hair softly.   
  
"We both have a reason to be up here. We were both wired by the same man, and we can't let him have the chance to do it to anyone else" he said quietly pulling her close into an embrace.   
  
"It's more then that you know, Seifer" she responded softly placing her cheek against his chest.   
  
"It always is Quistis" he said in a whisper as he pulled away from her. She sighed as he walked away from her, pushing a button on the control panel to let them into the main part of the station.   
  
She followed him into the control room, but they both came to a stop suddenly at the sight that waited for them there. A tiny girl stood there tightly clutching a blond doll, her blue eyes lighting up when she saw them.   
  
There was a moment of silence the three of them standing there. As Quistis took in the gruesome sight of her standing there in a pool of blood, her face a perfect mask of innocent. A silver pistol rested in her hand, tiny fingers curled around the pummel. At her feet dead lay the corpse of a man that could only be Ricker Deling, this has to be none other then his daughter.   
  
"Hello, I've been waiting for you both" she said in a soft childlike voice. Slowly she dropped the pistol and it hit the floor of the station with a loud clink.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**------'-----,---------'-----,---**   
  
**Author's Notes:**   
Well, in my last chapter I said I was going to try and update before I went to England. Well I wasn't able to, unfortunatly. I had a really good time there though and got along great with fellow author Sharpedge, if anyone wants to see some pictures there are some in a thread at the Seiftis Forever board, but FF.net won't let me put the link here so I'll put it in my profile.   
  
Believe it or not I am nearing the end of this fic, hopefully I can get the motivation to write another chapter soon. ;) 


	16. Splintered

  
  
  
  


** ------'-----,---**Chapter Sixteen**------'-----,---**   
**------'-----,--- **Splintered**------'-----,---**

  
  
  
  
It was a broken hearted moment for Quistis as she stood there gazing at the tiny girl. All of it almost seemed unreal, the knife in her head, and the glittering expanse of stars through the windows behind her.   
  
"I'm Baysla Deling" the tiny girl said, smiling softly. Quistis felt her heart lurch to her throat. Seifer was beside her breathing heavily, his green eyes also locked to the small form of the girl.   
  
"This was my daddy, Ricker" she says with a small smile stepping over the body of the dead man. The small girl walked closer eyeing them both. They just stared speechless, Seifer reflexively reaching for the hilt of his Hyperion.   
  
"Specimen 0241 and Specimen 2371, my father talked about you so much. It's a pleasure at last to finally meet you both" Baysla said.   
  
"What about us?" Seifer growled viciously taking a step towards the small girl. She just looked up at him her eyelashes thick leaving long shadows on her face. It didn't seem like she was afraid, her face never changing from the mask of calm.   
  
"You were an experiment. See, my daddy was always interested in controlling the lives of others and sought to learn how to control the greatest emotion of all.... love" Baysla whispered the last word as she looked up at Seifer.   
  
"Love" He responded flatly, and Quistis felt her heart drop.   
"It's in our programming to love her, as it is in hers to love you" Baysla said looking to Quistis. The blond woman took a step back, placing her hand against a wall to lean heavily on it.   
  
Suddenly all her feelings were explained. Everything she had been thinking about Seifer, the longing need to touch him. How the sight of him took her breath away.   
  
Was all of it just.... a lie?   
  
"Impossible" Seifer growled making a sharp motion through the air with his hand.   
  
"Believe it, 0241" Baysla said simply shrugging her shoulder.   
  
"He has a name; don't call him that number again" Quistis spoke up surging forward to advance on the small girl. A sorceress of her father's making. She felt like spitting she was so sickened by all of this. Seifer turned to her smirking a bit as she defended him.   
  
"I'm sorry.... Quistis" Baysla responded carefully.   
  
"We are here to put an end to all this nonsense. No more clones, no more wired people, no more programs inserted into people, and no more mind control!" Quistis said on the verge shouting.   
  
"What about me?" the small girl asked looking up at her softly. Quistis paused her lips forming a thin line; she looked desperately over at Seifer. He shook his head and wrapped his hand tighter around the hilt of his Hyperion. Quistis looked at him horrified, how could he even think of killing her?   
  
"He's right you know," Baysla spoke up "Haven't you ever heard the saying absolute power corrupts absolutely? All sorceresses are condemned to go mad, even Miss Heartily will fall to power's call one day" Quistis stared at her as she spoke, unable to do anymore then shake her head. The thought of killing a child, even one that was a sorceress, was horrifying to her.   
  
"I can't do that..." Quistis said slowly.   
  
"I will..." Seifer cut in as his eyes fluttered shut. Quistis knew he was remembering things from his past. The times he spent as a sorceress' knight, the times they fought on opposite sides of the battle field. She flinched remembering the sharp sting of his Hyperion.   
  
"Seifer...." Quistis said letting her voice die away. She looked to him letting her hand drop on his shoulder. Those haunted eyes looked to her and she could see there that this wasn't going to be easy for him.   
  
"It must be done" he said placing his left hand over hers leaving his right firmly on his Hyperion. Baysla looked at them with a pleased expression on her face, a tiny grin playing on her small lips.   
  
"Before you kill me, let me help you" Baysla said softly watching as Quistis slid her hand off Seifer's shoulder.   
  
"What can you do to help us?" Seifer asked sternly cocking one eyebrow. Quistis watched him as he spoke suddenly hating that she could no longer trust her own feelings.   
  
"The clones, there was a trigger in the formula used to grow them. With the simple release of a switch a toxin will be released into their veins and they will all die eventually. It takes a few hours" Baysla said with a smile.   
  
"Why are you being so helpful" Quistis asked Baysla suspiciously.   
  
"I hate my Daddy and all that he did" She responded. Seifer nodded fully understanding the girl's feelings.   
  
"What about us, will this toxin kill us as well?" Seifer asked. Baysla shook her head fiercely.   
  
"No, it won't kill human specimens" she said walking over to a door that led to outside, a long catwalk led out amongst the fields of people in tubes. Seifer shuddered suddenly and watched Quistis as she moved over to the door placing her hand on the glass, looking at all of the people trapped in those tubes. Unconscious and unreal just waiting to be part of a sick man's experiments.   
  
"Don't touch the void..." Seifer growled suddenly grabbing Quistis' arm and dragging her away from the glass door. She looked at him strangely his eyes looking ghostly and distant, his gaze locked on the specimen tubes. Quistis touched his cheek softly, whispering his name.   
  
Seifer's gaze turned snapped back to her and he shook his head taking a step back.   
  
"Sorry" he mumbled forking a hand through his blond hair. Quistis frowned and reached to touch him again but he backed away from her and shook his head. She sighed and nodded turning to look back to Baysla.   
  
"Is there no way to remove this wiring from us?" Quistis asked. Baysla looked to the remains of her Father and was silent for a few moments.   
  
"If there was a way it is lost now" she said quietly, her tiny voice filled with sadness. Quistis bit back her tears, unable to say anything. "Anyway, the door" Baysla said motioning back towards the door to the cat walk, "The consol at the end is where the switch is, all you have to do is release the air lock and press it. Easy enough"   
  
"I'll do it" Quistis said softly.   
  
"I'll stay here and..." Seifer said quietly as he slowly drew his gunblade. She still couldn't believe he would go through with killing the child.   
  
"Seifer.... you're better then this" Quistis said reaching for him again. He turned to her anger burning in his green eyes.   
  
"Don't touch me Quistis, didn't you hear? Everything I feel for you is a lie!" he shouted his posture growing rigidly straight as he glared down at her, shockingly reminding her of the Seifer of old.   
  
"Yes, it might be" Quistis said with a pause, "But you still feel it"   
  
Seifer's face crumbled from a mask of rage to a mask of sadness in moments. It was obvious the sight of the tubes, reminding him of his imprisonment had set something off inside of him. He was fighting emotions that he had never felt before; ones that he didn't even know were real.   
  
"I'll take care of the switch" Quistis said walking back into the first room to drag her spacesuit out and over to the other door. Stepping into it she took in the sight of Seifer standing before the girl his Hyperion glittering in the dull light of the machines.   
  
Unable to look anymore she pulled the suit up around her and sealed herself in before stepping through the door and into space.   
  
  
  
  
  



	17. Torn

  
  


** ------'-----,---**Chapter Seventeen**------'-----,---**   
**------'-----,--- **Torn **------'-----,---**

  
  
Space was so cold. At least the gravity boots on the space suit kept her feet firmly anchored to the metal catwalk. However each step was slow and heavy making the walk seem very long.   
  
Of course it space was cold, it was just a collection of stars and not much else. Quistis sighed inside her space suit as she started the long walk down the catwalk.   
  
Her mind sorted through the memories, things that had happened ever since all of this started. It all started with her offsite suspension in Shumi, where Ricker had placed the tiny doll she had found in the ruins of the old sorceress' castle.   
  
Then the arrival of Seifer in Shumi, sent to kill her, but it seemed Ricker had changed his mind. It was that night she had become one of the experiments. Both she and Seifer had fallen to the floor knocking the doll off in the process emitting a gas that put them into a catatonic state.   
  
The memories of the doctors talking while they inserted the wires haunted her. How one told the other of Seifer's long days spent in the specimen tube. All the experiments they preformed on him. It was enough to make her sick.   
  
After the procedure was complete both her and Seifer had been placed back into the hut in Shumi, unknowingly wires now ran through Quistis' body turning her into some sort of super solider. All of this for what? Because of some man's sick curiosity.   
  
He must have wanted them to fight because Seifer came after her as soon as the both came around. Quistis could remember how cold the snow was, much like the air around her now. Seifer had fought the wired men, blowing up a car and saving her in the process. He had been standing over her, ready to kill her; she would never forget the look of remembrance that flashed through his eyes.   
  
At least Zell and Selphie had shown up to save her, save them both. Who knows what Ricker might have done had they not gotten out of Shumi.   
  
His return to Garden, screaming for the long dead Squall. The tears that rolled down his face when confronted by Riona. His escape from the infirmary and his second attempt at killing her and the grey of the tranquilizer dart Irvine has so expertly fired into his neck.   
  
That fateful night when the voice had boomed out over the PA system of the garden and she had rushed to the MD level where Seifer had been imprisoned. The sick sight of the metal wires sprouting up from his forearms, at that time Quistis didn't know she had ones to match.   
  
Her demotion. At times Xu's harsh words rolled through her head. Suddenly it hit Quistis; once this was all over she was going to be done with SeeD. She could leave and never go back to the Garden again. Maybe Seifer would come with her.   
  
She was about half way down the catwalk now, the people in the tube eerily still around her. Even if there was noise she wouldn't be able to hear it in her space suit. The only movement was the slight bounce of the test tubes anchored down to the space station by long wires.   
  
The memory of his trashed infirmary room at the Garden haunted her. He had asked her if she was a ghost, it seemed as if he was losing his mind. Perhaps he had for awhile there, being introduced into reality again so quickly had probably been a system shock for him. Quistis shuddered at the thought realizing he was showing a bit of that madness again before when he had pulled her away from the door. Would it haunt him forever?   
  
After his fantastic jump from the window they had traveled to Deling for the United Council meeting. Walking through the park... Quistis didn't think she would ever forget the way those hands felt on her as they roughly dragged her towards the dark alley. Seifer Almasy coming to her rescue using his bare hands to destroy the men that attempted to defile her in the worst way. I couldn't let them hurt you, he had said. Those words had seemed like the most precious gift Quistis had ever received.   
  
The sudden arrival of Laguna Loire president of Esthar at the United Council meeting would have been the most shocking event of the year, if all the other madness had been happening as well. They had come fore Seifer, and were able to take him when a group of wired men burst into the hall. He gave her his Hyperion to fight; of course she had been able to wield it the wires made her as strong as him.   
  
How she hated Riona for carrying her away that night as Laguna escaped with Seifer in his possession. It was that night that had truly changed her life, when she had drug that blade along her skin to find the wires that Ricker Deling had so cleverly implanted there.   
  
Meanwhile Ricker Deling had rescued the Lunatic Pandora and rebuilt the deadly device. This is what Ricker had used to get himself to space, leaving his escaped daughter behind who quickly took over the white SeeD ship with her mind control.   
  
With the Pandora Ricker had brought down Balamb Garden destroying one of the biggest obstacles in his way to world domination. During this time he was imbuing his daughter with the magic trapped in the bones of an old sorceress, unknown to Quistis a dead woman had been found her body ripped apart by the power that escaped her, the power that had been passed on by that sorceress.   
  
It had been pretty easy to commandeer Galbadia and make their way to Esthar where they confronted Laguna Loire. The President has admitted to going along with the project in the beginning to get revenge for the death of his only son. However Ricker Deling had taken it and let things get out of Laguna's control.   
  
Seifer had been behind glass.. She had rushed in to save him. To touch him, to be with him, to feel all these feelings that now she knew weren't real. Eventually they ended up here in space.   
  
And now here Quistis was striding across this platform while Seifer was in side killing a ten year old child. The thought simple choked her up on the inside, and she tried to focus on the task at had. One long step after the other, the consol at the end of the catwalk getting closer and closer.   
  
Soon enough she was standing before it, reaching out with her hand covered in the white space suit. She was shaking, from the cold, from the memories, and from the tragedy of all of this. All she could think was that soon this would all be over.   
  
The air lock released as she slowly turned the valve and the metal that was covering the venom release trigger shuddered open. With a simple flick of the switch Quistis realized she was killing hundreds of lives, even if they were grown mindless zombies. Taking a deep swallow she reached forward and pushed it down.   
  
Quistis turned and headed back towards the door unable to see into the station. As she was walking she saw something moving out of the corner of her eye, and she turned her head. There beyond all of the tubes and equipment loomed the moon. The surface seemed strange… as if it was crawling, moving.   
  
Her eyes widened as she suddenly realized what was happening. It struck her as she remembered that the Lunatic Pandora was used for not only space travel, but to direct a Lunar Cry as well. Ricker Deling had called upon the monsters of the moon before he had retreated to space to die at the hands of his daughter.   
  
The movement she had seen was one of the first monsters to fall, spiraling through the endless expanse of sky end over in. She watched it in horror as it collided with one of the test tubes bursting it open into a thousand floating pieces the body trapped inside spiraling out trapped forever in the open air of space.   
  
Panic rushed over the blond woman anchored to the catwalk. She started moving again one heavy step after the other, watching as more monsters made their decent from the moon. Something resembling a red dragon was flying at her, moving at an immeasurable speed. Quistis tried not to scream inside her space suit as it collided with the consol where she had just been standing.   
  
The whole catwalk shook as the consol broke off from it moving away into space following the monster on its decent to the planet below. Quistis hung on tight to the rail of the catwalk as it lurched and shook. She started running as much as she could in the heavy gravity boots. The door she was almost there, it was just a few footsteps away.   
  
Test tubes were shattering all around her, tiny pieces of glass imbedding themselves in her spacesuit. Bodies and monsters were floating in the air and she could see the movement on the moon was rapidly increasing. One of the creatures splattered across the windows of the space station. Thankfully the glass was held up, marred only be a smear of blood across its surface as the wounded monster continued it decent.   
  
There it was the door knob in her hand, and she was yanking it open. Hurriedly stepping inside the air lock she released the lock on the suit and it slumped to the floor around her. Rushing forward into the main room Quistis was gasping for air in panic, stopping as she saw Baysla still alive and standing before Seifer. Seifer kneeling before her, his head lowered Hyperion in his hands.   
  
"I couldn't do it, Quistis" he said softly, "I couldn't cover my hands in the blood of anyone else"   
  
Her hurt burned with his pain, but she was starkly reminded of their plight as the building shook around them. His head shot up and he gaze out the windows, through the blood at the monsters falling from the sky.   
  
"Right on schedule, the Lunar Cry" Baylsa said softly turning to look out the huge windows.   
  
"We have to get out of here" Seifer shouted suddenly grabbing Quistis hand and rushing forward to where they had entered his hand desperately grasping the handle on the door yanking with all his might.   
  
"You won't get out that way; you see the machines disabled all escape as soon as you entered. Did you really think I would let two of my fathers experiments roam free? No. No, you will die here will me as we crash towards the planet" Baysla said calmly. Seifer turned glaring at her rushing forward, swooping down in an easy movement to lift his Hyperion.   
  
"Kill me if you wish, Either way you will die 0241" The small girl said unafraid as she stood before him resigned to her death. Quistis started to cry gazing around, this couldn't be the end. Not now, not now that they had finally found each other.   
  
"What do we do Quistis" Seifer said desperately looking out the windows at the moon. The monsters were gathering rapidly, soon they would all tumble to the ground in a giant column and this space station would go with them.   
  
"Take both space suits into the air lock, and give me your Hyperion" she said solidly as she gazed over at Baysla Deling. He frowned and opened his mouth to protest but she held up a single hand, and he did as he was told. Quickly moving both suits into the air lock he slowly handed her his Hyperion.   
  
Opening the door she gave her a look as he waited for what she could do next. Quistis look calmly at the small girl and shook her head.   
  
"I didn't believe in killing you until you attempted this Baysla. I think this is all coming to an end now" Quistis said as she raised the Hyperion leveling it as her target. She pulled the trigger unleashing one of the magical bullets along the blade. It whizzed past the small girl and collided with one of the huge windows breaking it instantly. With a horrified look the girl was pulled up with the rushing air.   
  
Seifer grabbed Quistis in a desperate move pulling her into the air lock, slamming it shut just as Baysla was pulled through the remains of the window. The space station was shuddering around them.   
  
"What do we do from here Quistis?" Seifer asked softly looking at his former instructor. Quistis looked around the small room and sighed softly.   
  
"Pray" she answered simply.   
  



	18. Pulverized

  
  


**------'-----,---**Chapter Eighteen**------'-----,---**   
**------'-----,--- **Pulverized**------'-----,---**

  
  
They couldn't see what was happening. The steel walls of the airtight room were all they knew.   
  
It was the sound of his breathing that kept her from panicking. Knowing that she wasn't alone simply waiting for an unknown outcome. Seifer was at her side both of the sitting on the floor leaning heavily against the wall. Both spacesuits sat near by ready and waiting in case the tiny room's air lock collapsed and they were forced to abandon their haven.   
  
"What so you think will happen?" Seifer asked quietly tilting his head back to let it rest on the wall.   
  
"I'm sure that Ricker left the Pandora in some place where it will do the most damage. The monsters will travel to earth and ravage whatever is near by. SeeD will be called in to dispose of them. Of course it will create problems all over making the demand for SeeD high. With Balamb down there won't be enough to respond and the world will be in chaos" Quistis answered simply with a shrug of her shoulders.   
  
"I'm sure if Ricker was still alive he would march out his little super soldiers to do the job showing the world how powerful he really was" she continued with a shudder.   
  
"Gee don't you have a brilliantly optimistic way of looking at things" Seifer said sarcastically with an exasperated sigh.   
  
"I'm just being realistic" She responded resting her head on her knee.   
  
"What about us..." he asked his voice very quietly. Quistis dared not look at him; she didn't want to see those green eyes that seemed to look right through her.   
  
"I don't know..." she paused taking a deep breath, "I remember Dr. Kowdaski saying that the wires had to be removed from you or you might die... but the procedure was risky"   
  
"I would... I can't live without this metal in me. I remember the scientist telling me that so many times" Seifer said in that same quiet voice.   
  
"Maybe I'll move to Dollet and get a job or something. I've always thought it was pretty there" Quistis said hugging her knee, moving her head to rest her chin on the top gazing at the wall across from her   
  
"If we live through this..." he paused his voice shaking a little "Maybe I could go with you"   
  
Quistis looked at him at last with a broad smile opening her mouth to say something just as the room all around them lurched. It was happening, the Lunar Cry.   
  
"I'm scared" Quistis whispered softly. With out anymore words Seifer took her into his arms and held her close as the room around them shook once more. And suddenly it was shaking constantly a huge dent forming in the wall opposite them. And with the force of motion they were tossed from one wall to the next, suddenly falling, the space station drowning in the sea of monsters.   
  
"Hang on Quistis" Seifer shouted as the metal of the room started growing hot around them, they must have been entering the atmosphere of the planet.   
  
The whole room was rattling and shaking around them, and a loud boom sounded outside. Quistis closed her eyes huddled against Seifer tears flowing down her cheeks.   
  
Roaring, Crashing, Tumbling. The only way they knew for sure they were nearing the planet's surface was that they had left the noiselessness of space.   
  
"Seifer, I can't breath" Quistis cried out as the walls turned red from the heat. He held her tighter to him, staring desperately at the walls around them.   
  
"Stay with me" he whispered gently, trying not to let panic over come him as he they started falling faster and faster.   
  
Then the roaring became almost deafening a powerful rattle shaking all around them. With an immeasurable force the collided with something, the very walls around them shuddering and creaking.   
  
Suddenly something popped, a loud ping sounded through the room. Steam there was steam, it was all around them. Quistis found herself coughing and choking.   
  
"Oh Hyne" Seifer whispered softly.   
  
"What is it" Quistis said opening her eyes.   
  
"We landed in the water..." Seifer said looking towards the door, a screw on it has melted from the heat of the atmosphere. Water was dribbling in slowly, they were sinking.   
  
"What do we do?" Quistis screamed panic overwhelming her suddenly. Seifer popped his neck and gazed around them.   
  
"We have to get out before we reach the ocean floor or we will never be able to swim to the top" Seifer said looking over to the door, and grabbing for his Hyperion.   
  
"I'm not a very good swimmer" Quistis said her voice shaking as started to jam his Hyperion into the door to pry it open.   
  
"I'll help you" He said softly, "Okay I'm going to open this, but first let all the air out of your lungs then take a breath as deep as you can and hold it"   
  
"I can do that" she said nodding. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her body shaking with panic and fear.   
  
"As we swim up let some out every now and then, slowly" Seifer wanted to make sure she got it right and waited for her to nod. Watching her slowly breathe out he did the same, then as he took a deep breath he shoved the door open.   
  
Neither of them were ready for the force of water that came rushing into the room. It shoved them back hard against the wall. Quistis couldn't see, everything was black. She didn't know which way was up. Struggling she tried to remember where the door was. Suddenly she felt Seifer's hand grabbing her own, pulling at her. She kicked off from the wall as hard as she could and he yanked her through the open door.   
  
Finally she could make some sense of what was going on around her. Seifer had a firm grip on her hand and was steadily pulling her up with him as he kicked his way towards the surface. He always had been the strongest swimmer of all the orphanage kids.   
  
It was like floating in a dream. The water rushing around her, the air burning in her lungs. And then suddenly she could see the sun cutting through the water. The surface, they were close!   
  
And suddenly there was air in her lungs, she was breathing. Seifer was calling her name from some where, water rushing around her again. He was there holding her close whispering her name over and over again.   
  
"Don't leave me now that I've found you..." she thought it was him whispering. Quistis longed to see his green eyes... but couldn't seem to get her own open.   
  
And then the world fell silently black.   
  
Seifer looked up; in the distance he could see the approaching form of a very familiar red garden. Red, like the blood. Blood in the water. He pulled her closer to him and started to weep.   
  
Somehow he would get the attention of the Garden, they would live through this. And perhaps after, they would love. 

..

**------'-----,--- ,---FIN---'------'-----,---**

  
  



	19. Epilogue Broken

  
  


**------'-----,---**Epilogue**------'-----,---**   
**------'-----,--- **Broken**------'-----,---**

  
  
_My golden angel... My darling Quistis..._   
  
"Specimen 0241, final experiment complete" the voice seemed so far away, so distant. He felt like he was underwater, but Seifer couldn't struggle. Was he even breathing?   
  
Suddenly he was running down a corridor, grey trench coat flailing out behind him. What was he trying to get away from? All he knew was that he couldn't let them hurt her.   
  
A loud cracking noise, the splintering of a mirror. Green water enveloped and closed him in, a fist pounding on glass.   
  
_**Thud, thud, thud.**_   
  
His own hand.   
  
_Where is my Quistis?_   
  
The darkest of nights, a tiny girl. She smiled at him, clutching a doll close to her chest. Baysla.   
  
"Specimen 0241!" it was a scream in the darkness. Something was clawing at him, aching to get out of his body. So he clawed back tearing into his own flesh. That silver snake was in his skin again, it wouldn't let him go. Every action, it controlled, he didn't mean to kill her.   
  
Kneeling there, on the sand, crying. Two hands covered in blood, his blood, her blood, all of their blood. A breaking of the hour glass, a shattering of time. He never meant to hurt anyone, especially not an angel.   
  
And his fist pounding into the sand, again and again. Why couldn't he get the blood off his hands, always so much blood. Blood and life. Lives he had stolen.   
  
_**Thud, thud, thud.**_   
  
Her heart it still beat, the rain it still fell. He saved her, rushing her to the white place. With the scary men and the needles and the reports. She smiled at him and said it would be okay. It wasn't, SHE LIED!   
  
They took him away.   
  
_Where are you Quistis, I'm sorry!_   
  
She was gone. He was here. Alone in the world of green. In this emerald tube that was his only captor. The silver snake was still in him. The monkey in white said it couldn't be removed. It was too deep.   
  
But she was safe; they had drawn the silver snake out of her body. Its venom could no longer taint her delicate being. Fragile like a porcelain doll, lying there broken on the beach.   
  
A noise, tiny on the horizon. How he heard it through the green he didn't know. But it was there, a voice in his head telling him he had to get out.   
  
_Quistis!_   
  
"Shhh, my love, it's only make believe" it was a tantalizing voice just beyond his reach. It kept slipping through his fingers like her wet hair on that day.   
  
"We'll get you out of here, we'll make you safe" another voice said. He was standing suddenly, being suited in his old clothes.   
  
A familiar chair in a familiar room. White monkeys all around. Seifer sat. What more could he do. At least he wasn't in the green, at least he could breathe.   
  
Something attached to his temples, his eyes firmly closed.   
  
"Look at me" a voice snapped. It was her.... His angel... she was crying.   
  
"Quistis..." He whispered reaching out to her. She touched his hand with a soft smile.   
  
"It's all right my love, we'll make you normal again" she whispered softly, waving a hand to one of the monkeys. What was she doing with them, what was she doing?   
  
"I love you Quistis" Seifer whispered softly as white electricity arched through his brain, there was something terribly wrong.   
  
He awoke suddenly, sitting up. It was pitch black, and the sound of the ocean was not far off. Quistis lay peacefully in bed beside him.   
  
"Another dream?" she murmured softly looking up at him with sleepy blue eyes. Seifer stared down at her, clenching his fist to feel the metal wires move along his veins.   
  
"No" he said shortly getting up and walking over to the window. The Dollet shore line was deep blues and black this time of night, the waves pounding upon the shore.   
  
_**Thud, thud, thud.**_   
  
"It was no dream" Seifer whispered softly.

.

.

.

.

**------'-----,---**   
**Ending Author's Notes:**   
**------'-----,---**   
  
Well, it's over at last. Sometimes when an Author starts writing a story they have an idea, and then the plot kind of runs away with them in a totally different direction. I am afraid this happened with Broken Doll. Really, the fic wasn't supposed to be like this at all. However in the end I am happy with how it turned out. I wanted to write something very dark and original and I did just that with this fic.   
  
I always get a feeling of nostalgia when I put up the lat update on a fic. Because this writing had been with me for a very long time, whether I was actively updating it or not. It has been a part of my life for so long it's hard to let it go. This fic was with me through a terrible break up. Through some of the saddest times of my life, and through some of the happiest.   
  
I've said many times that this will probably be my last fic. Why you ask? Well because I just don't have the drive and the time to update often enough. I really want to make my readers happy and I am afraid I am failing them when sometimes it takes me months to update.   
  
Also I have been working a lot on an original project which takes up a lot of my time. It might actually turn into a novel of sorts some day that I may try and get published.   
  
Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, I can't get Seifer and Quistis out of my head. The other day I had an idea for a fic, and it looks like I might actually be writing it soon enough. So no, this will probably not be my last fic. It's like an addiction, hard to quit. ;)   
  
Thank you for reading my fic and all this babble. All of you have been so wonderful to me. Thank you again.   
  
Special thanks go out to:   
  
Codie , Verdanii, Quistis88, Megs, and the many others, Thanks for reading every chapter and for sticking with me through it all. I know it was probably hard sometimes. Thank you for all the encouraging words.   
  
Maths - A person I respect and admire greatly, for many reasons. Thank you for all the wonderful things you've said to me in the past.   
  
Auria, Braze, Thena, SS, and Kala - For reading, For being the great friends that you are, and for just being who you are.   
  
Lastly, Sharpedge.   
For my wings. 


End file.
